CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

FALSELY  SO  CALLED 


From  the  Religious  Press. 


"Brief,  clear  and  convincing."    — Western  Christian  Advocate. 

"The  author  of  this  work  has  covered  the  field  briefly  and 
thoroughly."  — 'United  Presbyterian. 

"The  book  is  a  convenient  exhibition  of  the  folly  of  what 
Christian  Scientists  think  they  believe." 

— 'Pittsburg  Christian  Advocate. 

"This  gigantic  evil  is  strongly,  skillfully  arraigned  and  its 
monstrosities  thoroughly  shown  up."  —Zion's  Herald. 

"If  the  reader  is  afflicted  with  'Christian  Science'  and  will 
give  this  author  half  a  chance,  he'll  cure  him."^ 

-Religious  Telescope. 

"  For  those  who  think  that  God  knows  more  about  the  problem 
of  existence  than  did  Mary  B.  G.  Eddy,  the  answer  is  con- 
clusive." — New  York  Observer. 

"  Every  one  who  believes  or  does  not  believe  in  that  teaching 
(Christian  Science)  ought  to  read  the  book  and  get  a  clear 
understanding  of  what  its  leaders  have  written." 

—The  Baptist  Observer. 

"The  author  uses  the  deadly  horizontal  with  fine  effect,  quot- 
ing freely  and  accurately  from  the  fifty-first  edition  of 
'Science  and  Health,  With  Key  to  the  Scriptures.'  The 
book  ought  to  be  very  helpful."  — Western  Recorder. 

"This  is  an  excellent  volume  with  which  to  combat  the  sophis- 
try and  errors  of  this  peculiar  system  of  belief.  It  is  tolerant 
in  spirit,  moderate  in  tone,  fair  in  interpretation  and  con- 
vincing in  logic  and  arguments."      — Evangelical  Messenger. 

"This  'Key  to  the  Scriptures'  he  criticises  mercilessly,  and 
give  his  reasons  by  quotations  from  it,  comparing  them  with 
the  Scriptures.  He  makes  the  Key  speak  out  its  real  spirit, 
and  thereby  records  its  utter  condemnation." 

— The  Examiner. 

"Both  clear  and  forceful,  the  book  could  be  safely,  in  fact, 
with  wisdom,  be  handed  to  any  one  who  seems  in  danger  of 
being  led  astray  by  this  falsely  called  science." 

—Episcopal  Recorder. 


What  the  Pulpit  Says  about  this  Book. 


"The  book  will  do  great  good." — Pres.  Samuel  Dickie. 

"I  am  sure  that  the  book  will  be  of  much  service." 

—Wm.A.  Waldo,  D.D. 

"God  speed  your  Uttle  book  on  its  'errand  of  light.'" 

— Geo.  M.  Lehigh. 

"It  is  a  very  strong  book  with  its  arguments  so  clearly  pre- 
sented." —Myron  W.  Haynes. 

"I  have  just  finished  reading  it  and  will  read  it  again  and 
again."  — /.  K.  Howard. 

"I  think  the  book  in  many  respects  a  strong  treatment  of  the 
subject."  — i?.  A.  Torrey,  D.  D. 

"I  like  it  well.  I  wish  every  hesitating  soul  in  our  country 
might  read  it."  —Pres.  C.  A.  Blanchard,  D.  D. 

"Your  book  is  a  practical  answer  to  it"  (Christian  Science) 
and  is  "calculated  to  do  much  good."  — C.  M.  Carter,  D.  D. 

"He  goes  straight  to  the  core  of  things  in  a  clear  and  logical 
way.  My  conviction  is  that  his  exposures  of  the  fallacies  of 
the  Christian  Science  teaching  cannot  be  successfully  an- 
swered or  refuted." — Rev.  W.  T.  Stackhouse,  D.  D. 


Christian   Science 
Falsely  So  Called 


/  V 


'r 


WILLIAM  LEON  BROWN 


MJN    3   1918 


SECOND  EDITION 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  19",  by 
WILLIAM  LEON  BROWN 


New  York  :  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London  :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh  :     100    Princes    Street 


Preface 

As  we  thoroughly  investigate  Christian 
Science,  it  proves  to  be  one  of  the  several 
ways  in  which  the  antichrist  is  manifesting 
himself  at  the  present  time.  Perhaps,  in  its 
subtle  teachings,  there  is  no  other  delusion  so 
vile  and  deceptive. 

As  I  learn  more  about  it,  I  am  confident 
that  the  great  multitudes  of  Christian  people 
are  ignorant  of  its  real  teachings,  and,  there- 
fore, feel  impelled,  as  one  upon  Zion's  watch- 
tower,  to  sound  the  alarm  and  announce  the 
approach  of  a  deadly  enemy. 

My  arraignment  of  this  gigantic  evil  will 
not  be  from  hearsay,  as  I  have  before  me  a 
copy  of  the  fifty-first  edition  of  "  Science  and 
Health " — a  book  which  contains  what  is 
called  a  "  Key  to  the  Scriptures  " — a  book 
which  declares  that  its  author  is  the  wife  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  which  she  is 
pictured  as  the  mighty  angel  of  whom  John 
spoke  as  coming  down  from  heaven. 

If  Christian  Science  did  not  wear  a  mask 
and  ever  promena  \e  before  us  under  an  as- 
sumed name  ;  if,  instead,  it  called  itself  by  its 
proper  name,  "  Counterfeit  Christianity,"  if  it 
5 


6  Preface 

refrained  from  using  the  word  of  God  deceit- 
fully and  ceased  its  pretense  to  be  an  angel  of 
light — its  danger  would  be  comparatively 
trifling  and  its  influence  would  soon  recede. 

On  the  contrary,  Christian  Science  comes 
to  us  arrayed  in  the  attire  of  a  saint,  quoting 
the  Scriptures  with  great  profuseness ;  but  in 
the  end  it  denies  the  very  being  of  God  as  well 
as  the  truth  of  His  word.  It  comes  to  the  sick, 
enfeebled  in  mind  and  body,  offering  health 
and  happiness  in  a  name  which  they  have 
ever  heard  associated  with  righteousness  and 
truth ;  thus  have  many  been  taken  off  their 
guard,  led  astray,  and  ruined  forever. 

At  Christian  Science  meetings,  a  part  of 
the  exercises  consists  in  reading  portions  of 
Scripture  alternately  with  the  writings  of  Mrs. 
Eddy.  We  will  reverse  this  order.  Selec- 
tions from  "Science  and  Health"  will  be 
quoted,  and  then  we  will  view  these  passages 
in  the  light  of  God's  word. 

But,  instead  of  reviewing  the  book  in  the 
order  in  which  it  is  written,  or  attempting  to 
follow  it  in  its  haphazard  wanderings,  we  will 
consider  its  teachings  on  a  number  of  vital 
questions — subjects  of  intense  importance  to 
every  thoughtful  mind. 

W.  L.  B. 

Lawrence,  Ind. 


Contents 


I. 

The  Author's  Assumption    . 

9 

II. 

The  Author — Her  Personality 

12 

III. 

The  Bride  of  Christ    . 

i6 

IV. 

Prophecies  Concerning  CHRISTIA^ 
Science     .... 

22 

V. 

The    Bible    Acknowledged   ane 
Denied      .... 

25 

VI. 

The  Personality  of  God  Denied 

34 

VII. 

Jesus  the  Christ  Denied 

.       44 

VIII. 

Matter — Its  Existence  Denied 

53 

IX. 

Sin  and  Evil          ; 

.      6i 

X. 

Sex,  Generation,  and  Marriage 

68 

XI. 

Sickness  and  Disease    . 

75 

XII. 

Death   .         .         .         .         . 

94 

XIII. 

Contradictions  in  "Science  and 
Health  "  . 

99 

XIV. 

The  Scriptural  Key     . 

io6 

Conclusion   .... 

112 

"  Beware  of  false  prophets  which  come  to  you 
in  sheep's  clothing  but  inwardly  they  are 
ravening  wolves  " — MATTHEW  vii.—is. 


"  There  shall  be  false  teachers  among  you, 
who  privily  shall  bring  in  damnable  heresies, 
even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought  them, 
and  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction. 
And  many  shall  follow  their  pernicious  ways ; 
by  reason  of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be 
evil  spoken  of.  And  through  covetousness 
shall  they  with  feigned  words  make  mer- 
chandise of  you." — Second  Peter  2:  i  to  3. 


Christian  Science 
Falsely  So  Called 


THE  AUTHOR'S  ASSUMPTION 

Christian  Science  is  said  to  be  a  dis- 
covery, and  on  page  i  the  author  of  "Science 
and  Health  "  announces  herself  as  the  dis- 
coverer. It  is  also  called  a  *'  re-discovery  " 
and  of  this  it  is  said  (p.  43)  that  it  is  "  the 
second  coming  of  the  Gospel  of  peace  on 
earth  and  good  will  to  men."  Furthermore 
Christian  Science  is  spoken  of  as  an  **  awaken- 
ing" which  is  designated  (p.  126)  as  **the 
coming  of  Christ."  Again  the  author  de- 
clares, 

(p.  371)  That  "  Christian  Science  and  Christianity 
are  one." 

(p.  4)  That  it  is  a  •'  revelation." 

(p.  53S)  That  such  "  revelation  "  is  a  "message 
from  God." 

Not  only  so,  but  Christian  Science  she 
calls 

9 


lo     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  485)  "  The  Word  of  God." 
(p.  542)  "  The  Holy  Ghost." 
(p.  569)  "  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 
(p.  571)  "New  Jerusalem." 

Her  revelation,  she  informs  us,  is  infallible, 
and  she  speaks  (p.  225)  of  the  Spirit  bearing 
witness  to  the  "  infallibility  of  Divine  Sci- 
ence." 

She  also  says  (p.  304)  that  "  Christian 
Science  .  .  .  coincides  with  the  Scrip- 
tures and  sustains  .  .  .  every  point  it 
presents." 

\(p.  229)  That   "  Divine   Science,   taking  (takes) 
\v^^  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  as  Christ  had 

->^^  always  done." 

^  (p.  250)  That  •♦  all  we  correctly  know  of  Mind 

(God)     ...     is  learned  through  Christian 
Science." 
(P-  545)    That    "  God     .     .     .     will    eventually 
rule  all  nations  and  peoples     .     .     .     with 
Divine  Science." 

Of  her  book,  she  says 

(p.  441)  "  that  it  is  the  voice  of  Truth  to  this  age." 
(p.  9)   (Truth,   in   "  Science   and    Health,"  is   a 

synonym  for  God.) 
(p.  291)  That  •*  in  this  volume  of  mine  there  are 

no  contradictory  statements." 
(p.  4)  "  neither  tongue  nor  pen  can  overthrow  it." 

Of    the    Bereans,    it    is    said   that  ''they 


The  Author's  Assumption  1 1 

searched  the  Scriptures  daily,  whether  these 
things  were  so."  Jesus  said  to  the  Jews,  *'  If 
I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  beheve 
me  not,"  and  we  are  told  "to  prove  all 
things." 

Since,  then,  we  are  not  required  to  believe 
even  the  testimony  of  Christ  without  evidence 
as  to  its  truth,  and  since  we  are  encouraged 
to  thoroughly  investigate  every  subject — 
accepting  only  that  which  can  be  proved,  we 
certainly  ought  to  be  allowed  to  examine  the 
nature  of  the  evidence  sustaining  the  truth  of 
this  reputed  '*  revelation." 

If  it  is  the  voice  of  God  to  this  age,  taking 
away  the  sins  of  the  world,  which  only  Christ 
can  do ;  if  only  through  it  we  can  learn  of 
God,  and  must  be  eventually  ruled  by  this  so- 
called  science,  it  certainly  becomes  us  to  listen 
with  reverence  and  give  heed  to  every  utter- 
ance. 

If  this  book  contains  no  contradictions  and 
coincides  with  the  Scriptures,  we  readily 
grant  that  neither  tongue  nor  pen  can  over- 
throw it ;  but  like  the  Bereans  of  old,  we  pro- 
pose to  search  the  Scriptures,  compare  them 
with  "Science  and  Health  "  and  see  if  what 
it  says  is  true. 


II 

THE  AUTHOR— HER  PERSONALITY 

On  one  occasion,  owing  to  some  of  Christ's 
statements  concerning  Himself,  the  Jews  said 
to  Him,  "Who  makest  thou  thyself?"  In 
no  sense  were  they  to  blame  for  this  inquiry 
and  if  He  had  been  only  a  man  they  were 
justified  in  accusing  Him  of  blasphemy  for 
making  Himself  to  be  God.  Their  fault  con- 
sisted in  not  weighing  the  evidence  and  seeing 
if  He  proved  Himself  to  be  what  He  claimed. 

In  this  investigation  we  desire  to  candidly 
consider  the  claims  of  the  author  of  "  Science 
and  Health."  If  they  are  true,  an  examina- 
tion will  only  confirm  them  as  such,  and  if 
false,  it  is  proper  that  the  falsehood  be  made 
manifest  to  all.  Who,  then,  according  to  her 
own  testimony,  was  this  Mrs.  Eddy,  the  au- 
thor of  **  Science  and  Health  "  ? 

Was  she  the  one  whom  God  had  called  ? 
(p.  25)  "  This    Science   has  come   already,   and 

come    through    the    one   whom    God    has 

called." 
(p.  4)  "  no  human  pen  or  tongue  taught  me  the 

Science  contained  in  *  Science  and  Health.'  " 
12 


The  Author — Her  Personality         13 

From  these  quotations  it  is  only  fair  to 
conclude  that  she  means  herself  by  "  the  one 
whom  God  has  called T  We  do  not  dispute 
but  God  calls  people  to  certain  kinds  of  work, 
but  that  He  ever  called  one  to  deny  all  the 
fundamental  teachings  of  His  own  word,  is 
an  utterance  that  we  cannot  believe.  That 
such  is  done  in  the  book  called  *'  Science  and 
Health,"  we  think  will  be  abundantly  proved 
as  we  progress  in  this  work. 

Did  she  give  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 
(p.  167)  '•  Our  Master  said,  •  But  the  Comforter 

.     .     .     shall  teach  you  all  things.'     When 

the  science  of  Christianity  appears,  it  will 

lead  you  into  all  Truth." 
(p.  227)  "  The  Holy  Ghost,  or  Spirit,  reveals  this 

triune  Principle,  and  is  expressed  in  Divine 

Science,  which  is  the  Comforter." 

The  meaning  of  the  above  is  very  hazy 
and  can  only  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of 
other  passages  from  "  Science  and  Health." 

(p.  571)  "  '  God,' '  Principle,'  *  Spirit,'  '  Truth '  are  -^ 
synonyms." 

Therefore,  the  meaning  must  be  that  when 
Christ  promised  to  send  the  Comforter,  He 
had  reference,  not  to  a  perso7t,  but  a  teachings 
which  teaching  is  Christian  Science. 


14     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  227)  She  calls  *'  Divine  Science" — "the  Holy 
Comforter  "  and  this  comforter  she  says 

(p.  467)  is  her  '•  sacred  discovery "  which  *•  no 
other  person  has  ever  given  ...  to  the 
world." 

Let  us  quote  just  what  Jesus  said  about 
the  Comforter  (John  xiv.  26)  and  see  if  the 
omission  made  by  the  author  of  '*  Science 
and  Health "  is  not  one  way  of  •*  handling 
the  Word  of  God  deceitfully."  We  put  the 
words  omitted  in  italics  :  **  But  the  Comforter, 
which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whoin  the  Father  will 
send  271  7ny  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  arid  bring  all  things  to  your  reniem- 
brance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you ^ 

Why  were  these  words  omitted  if  not  to 
mislead  the  reader?  Jesus  does  not  speak 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  science  or  a  teaching, 
but  2i  person  whose  mission  is  to  teach,  "  even 
the  Spirit  of  Truth ;  whom  the  world  cannot 
receive,  because  it  seeth  him  not,  neither 
knoweth  him ;  but  ye  know  him ;  for  he 
dwelleth  with  you  and  shall  be  in  you." 
Jesus  did  not  say  that  for  more  than  eight- 
een centuries  after  His  departure  He  would 
leave  us  without  the  Comforter,  but  He  in- 
formed those  to  zvhom  He  had  beeri  speaking 
that  they  knew  Him,  and  that  He  dwelt  in 
them. 


The  Author— Her  Personality         15 

Our  Saviour  ''  breathed  on  them  and  said 
unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 
On  that  wonderful  day  of  Pentecost  we  are 
informed  that  the  disciples  **  were  all  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak 
with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance." 

Therefore,  the  claim  of  any  person  in  this 
age  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  but  a  science 
which  has  been  revealed  to  them  to  impart 
to  others  is  unreasonable,  unscriptural,  and 
miis^  be  false,  and  from  such  teachers  we  are 
admonished  to  ''turn  away." 


Ill 

THE  BRIDE  OF  CHRIST 

(Rev.  xii.  i)  "  And  there  appeared  a  great 
wonder  in  heaven ;  a  woman  clothed  with 
the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and 
upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars." 

In  her  so-called  "  Key  to  the  Scriptures  " 
the  author  of  "Science  and  Health"  un- 
locks (?)  the  above  passage  in  the  following 
remarkable  language : 

(p.  541)  *'  The  Revelator  beheld  the  spiritual  idea 
from  the  mount  of  vision.  .  .  .  He  saw 
also  the  spiritual  idea,  as  a  woman  clothed 
in  light,  a  bride  coming  down  from  Heaven, 
wedded  to  the  Lamb  of  Love.  To  him  the 
Bride  and  the  Lamb  represented  the  corre- 
lation of  Principle  and  its  spiritual  idea, 
bringing  harmony  to  earth.  .  .  .  The 
woman  in  the  apocalypse  is  the  vignette, 
which  illustrates  the  spiritual  idea  of  God 
and  man — divine  Principle  and  its  divine 
idea.  .  .  .  The  idea  is  clad  with  the  ra- 
diance of  spiritual  Truth,  and  matter  is  put 
under  its  feet." 

Now,  let  us  analyze  the  application  given 
16 


The  Bride  of  Christ  17 

to  this  passage.  *' Spiritual  idea"  is  defined 
"  as  a  woman  clothed  in  light,  a  bride  com- 
ing down  from  Heaven,  wedded  to  the  Lamb 
of  Love."  This  '*  idea  "  or  '*  woman  "  is  said 
to  be  ''clad  with  the  radiance  of  spiritual 
Truth  and  matter  is  put  under  its  feet." 

In  "Science  and  Health"  the  existence  of 
matter  is  denied,  and  an  attempt  to  prove 
that  it  is  but  a  delusion  occupies  perhaps 
nearly  as  much  space  as  all  else  said.  The 
author  presumes  matter  to  be  a  delusion, 
and  this  she  classes  as  her  ''sacred  dis- 
covery" which,  she  says,  "no  other  person 
has  ever  given  ...  to  the  world." 
Who  then,  according  to  her  own  statements, 
can  she  be  but  this  "idea"  or  "woman" 
imagining  herself  clad  in  spiritual  Truth  and 
with  matter  beneath  her  feet,  wedded  to  the 
Lamb  of  God  ?  (Love  she  also  gives  as  a 
synonym  for  God — p.  571.) 

We  quote  again  from 

(p.  545)  "  The  impersonation  of  the  spiritual 
idea  had  a  brief  history  in  the  earthly  life 
of  our  blessed  Master  ;  but  of  his  Kingdom 
there  shall  be  no  end,  for  God's  idea  will 
eventually  rule  all  nations  and  peoples 
.  .  .  with  Divine  Science.  This  im- 
maculate idea,  presented  first  by  a  man  and 
last  by  a  woman,  will  baptize  with  fire  and 
.     .     .     burn  up  the  chaff  of  error." 


i8     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Here  again  she  associates  herself  with  the 
Master  and  speaks  of  an  "  immaculate  idea  " 
being  presented  "  first  by  a  man  and  last  by 
a  woman,"  by  whom  she  cannot  mean  others 
than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  herself ;  and 
she  tells  us  that  all  nations  will  eventually  be 
ruled  with  Christian  Science,  of  which  she 
claims  to  be  the  discoverer. 

Again  let  us  take  the  Christian  Science 
Key  and  in  the  light  of  its  interpretation 
consider  Revelation  xii.  9  : 

"  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old 
serpent,  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  which 
deceiveth  the  whole  world :  he  was  cast  out 
into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out 
with  him." 

(p.  547)  "  That  false  claim — that  ancient  belief, 
that  old  serpent  whose  name  is  Devil  (evil), 
claiming  that  there  is  power  in  matter  to 
harm  and  deceive  mortals — is  pure  delusion, 
the  red  dragon ;  and  is  cast  out  by  Christ, 
Truth,  and  the  spiritual  idea,  and  so  proven 
to  be  powerless." 

Here  the  author  of  "  Science  and  Health  " 
again  associates  herself  with  Christ  and 
pictures  the  Saviour,  with  her  assistance, 
casting  the  devil  out  of  heaven.  She  says 
it  was  accomplished  by  Christ  and  the 
"  spiritual  idea,''  by  which,  as  shown  before, 
she  means  herself. 


The  Bride  of  Christ  19 

Once    more   we    quote    from   Revelation 

xxi.  9  : 

•*  Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee  the  bride,  the 
Lamb's  wife." 

Note  the  comment  on  this  passage : 

(p.  554)  «  The  message  of  Love,  which  your  de- 
ceived sense  deems  wrathful  and  afflictive, 
becomes  an  angel  entertained  unawares. 
Then  it  gently  whispers "  (note  carefully 
the  false  construction  which  this  author  puts 
into  the  mouth  of  the  inspired  writer), 
"  Come  Hither !  Arise  from  your  false  con- 
sciousness, into  the  true  sense  of  Love,  and 
behold  the  Lamb's  wife,— Love  wedded  to 
its  own  spiritual  idea." 

And,  apparently,  for  fear  that  she  has  not 
made  sufficiently  prominent  her  own  imagi- 
nary relationship  as  the  Lamb's  wife,  she 
adds : 

Love  (God)  was  wedded  to  its  own  ''Spiritual 

Idea  "  or  to  herself. 
Again  (verse  22), "  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein  ; 

for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb 

are  the  temple  of  it." 
(p.  556)  "  The  Lamb's  wife  presents  the  spiritual 

union  of  male  and  female  as  no  longer  two, 

but    one;    and    this    compounded   spiritual 

idea  reflects  God  as  Mind." 

Into  this  verse  which  refers  only  to  there  be- 
ing no  temple  in  heaven,  since  the  Lord  God 


20     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Almighty  and  the  *'Lamb"  are  the  temple 
of  it,  the  author  of  "  Science  and  Health  " 
must  inject  the  thought  of  '*  the  Lamb's 
wife,"  must  speak  of  a  spiritual  union  of 
male  and  female  and  again  make  prominent 
this  ^'spiritual  idea^^  or  herself  reflecting 
"  God  as  Mind.'' 

Of  the  above,  what  can  be  said,  only  that 
it  is  the  vilest  blasphemy  which  could  be 
uttered  by  a  mere  human  being?  It  is  like 
one  attempting  to  mount  the  throne  of  the 
Infinite  and  proposing  to  share  with  Him  in 
the  government  of  the  vast  universe.  Think 
of  a  mere  woman  claiming  to  be  the  wife  of 
the  Son  of  God  ;  seeking  to  monopolize  the 
bosom  of  the  Redeemer  to  the  exclusion  of 
those  for  whom  He  died,  even  the  Church 
which  He  bought  with  His  own  precious 
blood. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  can  such  be  said  of 
the  Church,  and  is  there  a  marriage  cove- 
nant between  God  and  His  people?  Let 
us  turn  to  God's  own  word  and  read  for  our- 
selves. 

(Isa.  liv.  5)  "  For  thy  Maker  is  thine  husband ; 
The  Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name;  and  thy 
Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel." 

(Hos.  ii.  19,  20)  "And  I  will  betroth  thee  unto 
me  forever;   yea,  I  will  betroth  thee  unto 


The  Bride  of  Christ  21 

me  in  righteousness  and  in  judgment,  and 
in  lovingkindness,  and  in  mercies ;  I  will 
even  betroth  thee  unto  me  in  faithfulness, 
and  thou  shalt  know  the  Lord." 

(Rev.  xix.  7-9)  "  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and 
give  honor  to  him  :  for  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  has  come  and  his  wife  hath  made 
herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted  that 
she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean 
and  white ;  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteous- 
ness of  saints.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called 
unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb." 

(Rev.  xxii.  16-17)  "I  Jesus  have  sent  mine 
angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in 
the  churches.  .  .  .  And  the  spirit  and 
the  bride  say,  Come." 

But  who  are  this  spirit  and  bride  ?  Who 
could  they  be  but  the  Comforter,  whom 
Jesus,  the  bridegroom,  has  sent,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  the  **  Holy  City  new  Jerusalem," 
the  redeemed  church  triumphant,  "coming 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband"  ? 

The  Comforter,  then,  is  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  bridegroom  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  bride  is  His  Church.  Even  the  redeemed 
whom  He  has  purchased  with  His  own  pre- 
cious blood. 


IV 

PROPHECIES  CONCERNING  CHRISTIAN 
SCIENCE 

(p.  386)  "  The  Christian  martyrs  were  prophets 
of  Christian  Science." 

(p.  1 84)  "  Christian  Science  .  .  .  fore- 
shadowed by  the  Prophets  and  inaugurated 
by  Jesus." 

(p.  211)  "  Jesus  was  the  mediator  between  spirit 
and  the  flesh,  between  Truth  and  error. 
Explaining  and  demonstrating  the  way  of 
Divine  Science." 

The  above  are  mere  utterances  without  a 
reference  to  one  passage  from  the  Scriptures 
to  confirm  their  truth.  But  the  vanity  and 
blasphemy  of  such  language — the  idea  that 
Stephen,  Peter  and  Paul  had  suffered  martyr- 
dom because  of  prophecies  proclaimed  by 
them  announcing  the  approach  of  Christian 
Science  or  advocating  the  silly  nonsense 
which  it  teaches,  such  as  the  denial  of  the 
existence  of  matter  or  the  unreality  of  sin, 
sickness  and  death  I  And  the  thought  of 
putting  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  the  attitude 
of  being  but  2.forerumier,  whose  mission  was 


22 


Prophecies  Concerning  Christian  Science  23 

only  to  inaugurate,  to  explain,  and  to  denoion- 
strate  the  absurdities  of  Eddyism. 

We  do  not  deny  but  there  are  prophecies 
in  the  Scriptures  concerning  Christian  Science, 
as  there  are  about  other  forms  of  unbeHef  and 
wickedness,  and  we  acknowledge  that  these 
were  uttered  by  the  Christian  martyrs  and  by 
Christ  Himself.     Note  the  following  : 

(2  Pet.  ii.  1-2)  "  But  there  were  false  prophets 
also  among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall 
be  false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily 
shall  bring  in  damnable  heresies,  even  deny- 
ing the  Lord  that  bought  them,  and  bring 
upon  themselves  swift  destruction.  And 
many  shall  follow  their  pernicious  ways  ;  by 
reason  of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be 
evil  spoken  of." 

(Matt.   xxiv.    24)   "  For   there   shall   arise   false 
Christs,  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  shew 
great  signs  and  wonders  ;  insomuch  that 
it  were  possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very 
elect." 

(Acts  XX.  29-30)  "  For  I  know  this,  that  after 
my  departing  shall  grievous  wolves  enter 
among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock.  Also  of 
your  own  selves  shall  men  arise,  speaking 
perverse  things  to  draw  away  disciples  after 
them." 

(i  Tim.  iv.  i)  "  Now  the  spirit  speaketh  ex- 
pressly, that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall 
depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seduc- 
ing spirits  and  doctrines  of  devils." 


ilse  \ 
lew  1 

.if  \ 


24     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(I  John  iv.  3)  "  Every  spirit  that  confesseth  not 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,  is  not 
of  God." 

That  Christian  Science  is  doing  its  part  in 
the  fulfillment  of  these  prophecies  we  think 
will  be  abundantly  demonstrated  under  other 
topics  bearing  upon  its  doctrines  and  teach- 
ings. 

"  It  is  impossible  but  that  offenses  will 
come  :  but  woe  unto  him  through  whom  they 
come  !  It  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill- 
stone were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he 
cast  into  the  sea,  than  that  he  should  offend 
one  of  these  litde  ones." 


THE  BIBLE  ACKNOWLEDGED  AND  DENIED 

(p.  20)  "  The  Bible  has  been  my  only  text-book. 
1  have  had  no  other  guide  in  •  the  straight 
and  narrow  '  way  of  this  Science." 

(p.  40)  «*  Divine  Science  derives  its  sanction  from 
the  Bible." 

From  the  above  as  well  as  from  many  other 
quotations  that  might  be  adduced,  one  would 
be  led  to  think  that  the  author  of  "  Science 
and  Health  "  must  have  been  an  exceedingly 
devout  person  and  that  surely  she  hailed  the 
Holy  Scriptures  as  a  lamp  unto  her  feet  and 
a  light  unto  her  path.  But,  as  we  carefully 
read  and  analyze  passage  after  passage  in 
this  book,  we  discover  beyond  question  that 
instead  of  so-called  Divine  Science  deriving 
its  sanction  from  the  Bible,  the  Bible  is  mis-j 
quoted,  misconstrued,  denied,  and  handled] 
"  deceitfully  "  in  order  that  it  may  appear  to 
sustain  these  false  doctrines.  In  proof  of 
this  statement,  let  the  reader  closely  observe 
the  following : 

Misquotations 
(P-    317)  "  The  '  prayer  of  a  righteous  man '  heals 
the  sick,  say  the  Scriptures." 

25 


\ 


26     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Now  compare  this  with  what  the  Scriptures 
really  do  say : 

(J as.  V.  1 6)  **  The  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a 
righteous  man  availeth  much." 

Not  only  is  this  passage  misquoted,  but  its 
truth  is  denied.     Note  this  language  : 

(p.  313)  "God  is  not  influenced  by  man.  The 
divine  ear  is  not  an  auditorial  nerve.  .  .  . 
The  danger  from  audible  prayer  is,  that  it 
may  lead  us  into  temptation." 

Thus  Christian  Science  teaches  that  audible 
prayer  is  an  evil. 

I  (p.   318)  "This  common  custom  of  praying  for 
^'  the  recovery  of  the  sick,  finds  help  in  blind 

belief." 
(p.   350)  "  For  if,  when   we  were   enemies,  we 
were  reconciled  to   God   by  the   (seeming) 
death  of  His  Son,  much  more,  being  recon- 
ciled, we  shall  be  saved  by  his  Life." 

Now  let  the  reader  compare  this  quotation 
with  Romans  v.  10.  Why  is  the  word 
"seeming"  inserted?  If  Christ  only  died 
in  appearance,  the  inspired  writer  must  have 
been  mistaken.  He  even  states  in  the  pre- 
ceding verse  that  we  are  "justified  by  his 
blood."  Also,  why  is  a  capital  "  L  "  used  in 
the  word  "  Life "  ?  The  reason  of  these 
changes  is  obvious,  viz :     Christian  Science 


The  Bible  Acknowledged  and  Denied    27 

denies  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  death, 
and  in  every  instance  defines  the  word  "  life  " 
as  meaning  *' God  " — hence  a  capital  "L" 
is  used.  So,  in  order  to  force  these  mean- 
ings, it  does  not  hesitate  to  change  the  very 
words  of  this  passage. 

Misconstructions 
(p.  409)  "  It  is  recorded  that  once  Jesus  asked 
the  name  of  a  disease — a  disease  moderns 
call  dementia.  The  demon,  or  evil,  rephed 
that  the  name  was  Legion.  Thereupon 
Jesus  cast  out  the  evil,  and  the  insane  man, 
believing  that  he  saw  a  host  of  demons  enter 
a  herd  of  swine,  was  changed  in  belief,  and 
straightway  became  sane." 

In  comparing  the  above  with  the  narrative 
as  recorded  in  Mark  v.  1-20  we  discover  that, 
instead  of  the  man's  affliction  being  a  "  dis- 
ease" or  an  "  evil,"  it  is  said  that  he  had  an 
**  unclean  spirit  "  and  this  unclean  spirit  gave 
his  name  as  "  Legion  "  for  he  said  *'  we  are 
many."  The  "many"  are  said  to  be 
'* devils,"— not  "evil,"  or  evils,  and  these 
devils  must  have  possessed  inteUigence,  since 
they  knew  Christ,  answered  a  question  which 
He  asked  them,  and  besought  Him,  saying, 
"Send  us  into  the  swine."  Whether  the 
afflicted  man  saw  or  thought  he  saw  the 
devils  enter  the  swine  is  only  a  matter  of 


28     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

conjecture  as  nothing  is  said  about  it ;  but 
that  they  did  so  is  plainly  declared  and  that 
those  who  fed  them  were  witness  is  equally 
evident. 

What  a  false  construction,  then,  to  put 
upon  this  most  remarkable  narrative  (in 
order  to  fit  it  to  Christian  Science  teachings), 
to  substitute  "evil"  in  the  place  of  ''devil" 
(as  is  done  in  numerous  passages  that  might 
be  quoted)  and  to  declare  that,  instead  of 
Jesus  actually  performing  the  miracle  re- 
corded of  Him,  He  only  caused  the  man  to 
imagine  that  He  had  done  so. 

(p.  207)  "  It  is  the  sense  of  sin,  and  not  the  sin- 
ful soul,  which  must  be  lost." 

Compare  this  with 

(Ezek.  xviii.  4)  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall 

die." 
(Mark  viii.   36-37)  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man, 

if  he  shall  gain  the   whole  world,  and  lose 

his   own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in 

exchange  for  his  soul  ?  " 

What  an  absurd  construction  of  Ezekiel 
xviii.  4  it  would  be  to  say,  "  The  sense  0/ sin 
that  sinneth,  it  shall  die,"  and  how  unfair  it 
would  be  to  put  these  words  into  the  lips  of 
Jesus  instead  of  what  He  did  say? — ''What 
shall   it   profit  a   man,   if  he  shall  gain  the 


The  Bible  Acknowledged  and  Denied    29 

whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  sense  of  sin  f  " 
"  What  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his 
own  sense  of  sin  f  " 

But,  if  we   accept   Christian   Science,  we 
must  so  translate  these  verses. 

Denial  of  Scripture 
D.  502)  "  The  second  chapter  of  Genesis  contains    \ 
a  statement  of  this  material  view  of  God  and  i^ 
the  Universe,  which  is  the  exact  opposite  of   !l 
Scientific  Truth." 

Upon  this  utterance  we  observe  (i)  that 
Christian  Science  regards  the  second  chapter 
of  Genesis  as  false  because  it  does  not  coin- 
cide with  its  teachings,  and  (2)  that  it 
blunders  in  confounding  the  Creator  with  i 
His  own  handiwork — thinking  that  God,  who 
is  ever  declared  to  be  a  Spirit,  is  here  said  to 
be  material,  when  such  an  idea  is  not  even 
implied. 

(p.  509)  "  Here  falsity,  error,  charges  Truth,  God, 
with  inducing  a  hypnotic  state  in  Adam,  in 
order  to  perform  a  surgical  operation  on 
him,  and  thereby  to  create  woman." 

In  these  words  it  is  not  only  denied  that 
God  made  Eve  from  one  of  Adam's  ribs,  but 
the  record  in  Genesis  ii.  21  is  declared  to  be 
false. 

(p.  176)  "  The  argument  of  the  serpent  in  the 
allegory,  *  I  will  make  you  as  Gods.' " 


30     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  507)  "  The  first  mention  of  evil  is  in  the 
second  chapter  of  Genesis,  in  the  legend  of 
the  serpent." 

(p.  510)  ••  He  (the  serpent)  enters  into  the  meta- 
phor only  as  an  evil." 

(p.  511)  ••  This  myth"  (and  the  serpent  said  unto 
the  woman)  '«  represents  error  as  always 
asserting  its  superiority  over  Truth  giving 
the  lie  to  Divine  Science." 

Thus,  the  Scriptural  record  of  the  serpent 
tempting  our  first  parents  is  treated  by  Chris- 
tian Science  as  an  allegory^  a  legend^  a  vieta- 
phor,  or  a  7nyth. 

"  Ha7idlmg  the  Word  of  God  Deceitfully  " 
(p.  216)  "  When  he  was  led  by  Wisdom  to  cast 
down  his  rod,  and  he  saw  it  become  a  ser- 
pent, Moses  fled  before  it ;  but  Wisdom  bade 
him  come  back  and  handle  the  serpent,  and 
then  his  fear  departed.  .  .  .  Matter  was 
shown  to  be  a  belief  only.  .  .  .  The 
illusion  of  Moses  lost  its  power  to  alarm  him, 
when  he  discovered  that  what  he  apparently 
saw  was  really  but  a  different  form  of  mortal 
belief." 
(Ex.  iv.  2-4)  "  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
What  is  that  in  thine  hand  ?  And  he  said, 
A  rod.  And  he  said.  Cast  it  on  the 
ground,  and  he  cast  it  on  the  ground  and 
it  became  a  serpent  ;  and  Moses  fled  from 
before  it.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
Put  forth  thine  hand,  and  take  it  by  the 
tail." 


The  Bible  Acknowledged  and  Denied   31 

(Ex.  vii.  8-10)  "  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses 
and  unto  Aaron,  saying  .  .  .  Take  thy 
rod  and  cast  it  before  Pharaoh,  and  it  shall 
become  a  serpent.  .  .  .  And  Aaron 
cast  down  his  rod  before  Pharaoh  and  be- 
fore his  servants,  and  it  became  a  serpent." 

What  a  deceitful  manner  in  which  to 
handle  the  Scriptures  !  Instead  of  this  event 
being  but  an  *'  illusion  "  in  which  Moses  was 
deceived,  the  record  is  that  it  was  an  actual 
rod  which  God  told  him  to  cast  on  the  ground, 
and  when  he  did  so  it  become  a  real  serpent 
which  Gody  not  man,  told  Moses  to  take  by 
the  tail.  Again,  God  promised  that  when  his 
rod  should  be  cast  before  Pharaoh  it  would 
become  a  serpent,  as  it  did  in  the  presence 
of  Pharaoh  and  his  servants.  If,  then,  the 
event  as  recorded  was  but  an  illusion  in 
which  Moses  and  Aaron  and  Pharaoh  and 
his  servants  were  deceived,  with  equal  pro- 
priety it  might  be  added  that  God  also  was 
deceived. 

(p.  509)  "  According  to  this  narrative,  surgery 
was  first  performed  mentally  and  without 
instruments ;  and  this  may  be  a  useful  hint 
to  the  medical  faculty." 

Thus,  a  narrative,  the  truth  of  which  is 
denied,  when  it  refers  to  our  first  parents,  is 
here  presented  in  a  favorable  light  because 


32     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

it  is  imagined  to  contain  a  suggestion  ad- 
vantageous to  Christian  Science.  But  if  the 
narrative  is  false  in  one  case,  it  cannot  be 
true  in  the  other.  Such  reasoning  is  one 
illustration  of  the  unfairness  of  those  whom 
the  Scriptures  designate  as  blind  guides. 
Another  illustration  of  this  extreme  unfair- 
ness : 

(p.  514)  *'  Woman  (was)  the  first  to  confess  her 
fault.  She  says  '  The  serpent  beguiled  me, 
and  I  did  eat.'  .  .  .  Hence  she  is  first 
to  abandon  the  belief  in  the  material  origin 
of  man.  .  .  .  This  enables  woman  to 
be  first  to  interpret  the  Scriptures  in  their 
own  true  sense,  which  reveals  the  idea  of 
God  as  Love." 

Here  the  record  of  the  serpent  beguiling  the 
woman  is  again  referred  to  as  if  it  had  really- 
happened,  when  other  passages  already  cited 
regard  this  passage  as  an  ''allegory,"  a 
"  legend,"  a  *'  metaphor,"  and  a  "  myth." 

But  what  is  the  motive  in  her  presenting 
as  a  fact  what  is  elsewhere  designated  as 
false  ?  Ah  !  let  us  pause  and  consider  care- 
fully. Is  it  not  to  present  a  woman,  whose 
advent  the  world  has  awaited  for  six  thousand 
years — a  woman  who  has  been  *'  first  to 
abandon  the  belief  in  the  material  origin  of 
man  "   as  well  as  the  existence  of  matter  of 


The  Bible  Acknowledged  and  Denied    33 

any  character ;  yea,  a  woman  who  alone  can 
*'  interpret  the  Scriptures  in  their  true  sense" 
and  until  whose  coming  no  professing  Chris- 
tian has  denied  the  awful  reality  of  sin,  sick- 
ness and  death  ? 

What  blasphemy  /  How  can  it  be  more 
fittingly  rebuked  than  in  the  use  of  these 
words  of  Holy  Scripture  ? 

"  They  speak  great  swelling  words  of  vanity." 
"  Wells  without  water,  clouds   that   are  carried 

with  a  tempest." 
"  Cursed    children :    which    have   forsaken   the 

right  way  and  gone  astray." 
**  Servants  of  corruption." 


VI 

THE  PERSONALITY  OF  GOD  DENIED 

The  casual  observer,  from  the  frequent 
references  which  Christian  Scientists  make  to 
Deity,  speaking  so  often  of  God,  of  Christ 
and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  would  be  apt  to  con- 
clude that  surely  the  views  of  these,  appar- 
ently devout  people,  must  be  perfectly  sound 
on  the  Godhead.  But  let  us  look  carefully 
into  their  teachings  and  the  reptile,  which 
has  so  cunningly  concealed  itself  in  the 
grass,  will  be  brought  to  light. 

(p.  152)  "The  theory  of  three  persons  in  one 
God     .     .     .     suggests  heathen  Gods." 

That  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is  not  only 
suggested,  but  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  we 
will  prove  by  the  following  passages :  • 

!  (Eph.  i.    3)  "  The  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 

i  Jesus  Christ."     (God  the  Father.) 

1  (John   i.   i)  "  The  Word  was  with  God  and  the 

j  Word  was  God."     (God  the  Son.) 

j  (Acts  v.  3,  4)  "  Why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart 

1  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost  ?     .     .     .     thou  hast 

not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God."     (God 

the  Holy  Ghost.) 

34 


The  Personality  of  God  Denied       35 

(Col.   ii.  9)  "  In  him  dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of       ^ 
the  Godhead  bodily."     (The  Three  in  One.) 

Again     we     quote     from    *'  Science    and 
Health":  j 

(p.  227)  "  Life,  Truth,  and  Love  constitute  the 
Triune  God." 

Here  "  life,'*  a  mere  condition — the  opposite 
of  death — and  "truth"  and  "love,"  which 
are  only  attributes,  characteristics,  or  quali- 
ties of  the  Divine  Being,  are  put  in  place  of 
the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  are 
said  to  *'  constitute  the  triune  God."  But  to 
show  further  the  absurdity  of  Christian  Science 
phraseology,  since  in  it  Life,  Truth,  Love, 
and  God  mean  the  same  thing,  this  quota- 
tion might  be  written  as  follows  without 
changing  the  meaning, — "  Life,  Life,  and 
Life  constitute  the  Triune  Life."  Or  any 
of  these  words  might  be  used  in  a  similar 
manner.     How  meaningless  ! 

In   Christian    Science   the    following    are 
synonyms : 

(p.   449)   "  *  God/    *  Principle/   '  Mind/   '  Spirit/ 

*  Soul/  '  Life,'  •  Truth/  '  Love.'  " 
(p.  7)  "'Good/" 
(p.  571)  '"Mother/"  / 

In  the  light  of  other  passages  from  "  Science 


36     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

and  Health  "  let  us  analyze  some  of  these 
terms  : 

(p.  226)  "  God  is  Spirit." 

(p.  85)  ♦'  Spirit  cannot  believe  in  God.  Spirit  is 
God." 

(p.  230)  "  There  is  but  one  Spirit." 

(p.  205)  "  The  Science  of  Being  shows  it  to  be 
impossible  for  .  .  .  man  to  be  a  sepa- 
rate intelligence  from  his  Maker." 

Now  observe  how  the  Bible  contradicts  these 
teachings  : 

(John  iv.  24)  "  God  is  a  Spirit ;  and  they  that 

worship  him  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and 

in  truth." 
(Heb.  i.  14)  "Are  they  not"  (the  Angels)  "  all 

ministering   spirits,   sent  forth    to    minister 

for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  ?  " 
(Eph.    vi.     12)    "We    wrestle     .     .     .     against 

spiritual  wickedness  "  or  as  on  the  margin 

"  wicked  spirits." 
(Num.  xvi.  22)  "  O  God,  the  God  of  the  spirits 

of  all  flesh." 

The  phrase  *'God  is  Spirit"  is  repeated 
many  times  in  **  Science  and  Health  "  ;  the 
article  **  a  "  being  invariably  omitted  for  this 
obvious  reason — Christian  Science  teaches 
that  ''  there  is  but  one  Spirit."  But  this  is  a 
false  quotation  as  well  as  being  unscriptural. 
From   the    passages    here   quoted    we    are 


The  Personality  of  God  Denied       37 

taught  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  that  the  angels 
and  devils  are  spirits,  and  that  we  ourselves 
are  also  spirits.  Not  only  so,  but  the  manner 
in  which  we  are  to  worship  the  true  God  is 
herein  prescribed. 

Therefore,  directly  contrary  to  these  teach- 
ings of  Christian  Science,  the  Bible  declares 
that  spirits  can  and  do  believe  iii  God,  even 
"  the  devils  also  believe  and  tremble."  Spirit 
is  not  God  ;  but  God  is  a  Spirit.  Instead  of 
there  being  but  ojie  spirit,  7ne7i,  angels  and 
devils  are  all  spirits  and  each  one  of  these  is 
a  separate  intelligence  from  his  Maker. 

(p.  89)  "  Life  is  God." 

If  we  take  this  sentence  in  the  light  of  Chris- 
tian Science,  it  is  equivalent  to  saying  "  Life 
is  Life  "  or  **  God  is  God,"  either  of  which 
utterances  would  be  nonsense. 

(p.  178)  "As  mortals  begin  to  understand  Spirit, 
they  give  up  the  belief  that  there  is  any  true 
life  outside  of  God." 

This  either  means  that  angels,  men,  and 
animals  do  not  possess  life  or  that  every 
living  being,  as  well  as  animals,  constitutes 
God  and  that  all  individualities  are  lost  in 
Him.  Either  meaning  is  unscriptural,  as 
shown  by  the  following  passages  : 


38     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(Rom.  xiv.  1 1)  *♦  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  every 
knee  shall  bow  to  me,  and  every  tongue 
shall  confess  to  God." 

(Gen.  i.  28)  •'  And  God  said  unto  them,  .  .  . 
have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and 
over  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  over  every 
living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth." 

Certainly  without  life,  men  could  neither 
bow  the  knee  nor  confess  to  God,  and  God 
Himself  here  declares  that  fish  and  fowl  as 
well  as  everything  that  moveth  upon  the 
earth  hath  life. 

The  Pantheistic  idea  that  every  living  thing 
constitutes  God  is  also  here  rebuked.  Every 
knee  must  bow  and  every  tongue  confess  to 
God.  Who  could  imagine  God  bowing  or 
confessing  to  Himself  ? 

(p.  183)  "  Truth  is  God." 

It  is  a  truth  that  an  apple  falls  to  earth.     Ac- 
cording to  such  teaching,  this  fact  is  God  ! 

(p.  449)  "  God  is  divine  principle." 

(p.  308)  "  Who  would  stand  before  a  blackboard, 

and  pray  the  principle  of  Mathematics  to 

work  out  the  problem  ?  " 
(p.  635,  Index)  '*  Prayer  to  a  personal  God  is  a 

hindrance." 
(p.   316)  "  Principle  never  pardons  our  sins  or 

mistakes." 


The  Personality  of  God  Denied       39 

(p.  226)  "  Nothing  possesses  reality  or  existence 
except  God."  (Therefore  everything  that 
exists,  including  all  animals,  must  be  God.) 

(p.  1 3)  "  In  one  sense  God  is  identical  with 
nature ;  but  this  spiritual  nature  is  not  ex- 
pressed in  matter." 

But,  since  Christian  Science  denies  the 
existence  of  matter,  what  can  be  the  mean- 
ing of  this  hazy  passage — except  that  it 
teaches  that  God  is  Nature  ?  or  that  Nature 
is  God?  Therefore,  Christian  Science  and 
Pantheism  are  identical  in  their  views  of 
God. 

From  these  quotations  it  is  evident  that 
Christian  Science  denies  that  God  is  a  person. 
It  declares  Hi7n  to  be  but  a  principle.  Ac- 
cording to  its  teachings,  God  is  constituted 
of  every  real  thing  in  existence — Nature  is 
God,  and  yet  in  flat  contradiction  to  this, 
Christian  Science  denies  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  nature,  or  that  anything  is  in  exist- 
ence except  spirit. 

In  reply  to  such  declarations  (though  the 
only  thing  that  is  new  about  them  is  the 
dress  in  which  they  are  attired — the  mask 
they  have  put  on,  in  adopting  a  Christian 
name)  let  us  take  up  our  Bibles  and  carefully 
investigate  this  subject. 

(Gen.  i.  i)  "  God  created." 


40     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(Gen.  i.  2)  "  The  Spirit  of  God  moved." 

(Gen.  i.  3)  "  God  said." 

(Gen.  i.  4)  "  God  saw  "  "  God  divided." 

(Gen.  i.  5)  "  God  called." 

(Ex.  XX.  1,2)"  God  spake  all  these  words,  say- 
ing, I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  have 
brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt." 

(Ex.  XX.  5)  "  I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a  jealous 
God." 

(Ps.  vii.  1 1)  "  God  is  angry  with  the  wicked." 

(Ps.  ix.  8)  "  He  shall  judge  the  world." 

(Isa.  Iv.  7)  "  Our  God  .  .  .  will  abundantly 
pardon." 

(John  iii.  16)  "  God  so  loved  the  world." 

The  attributes  ascribed  to  God  in  these 
passages  could  not  be  so  ascribed  were  He 
but  a  principle.  While  the  word  "  principle  " 
has  many  meanings,  as,  "  source,"  "  origin," 
"  fundamental  truth,"  "  rule  of  action,"  etc., 
yet  it  would  be  preposterous  to  speak  of 
any  of  these  having  ability  to  **  create,"  to 
"speak,"  to  "see,"  to  "love,"  or  to  "hate," 
and  it  would  be  equally  preposterous  to  say 
that  a  principle  could  become  "jealous,"  could 
"  pardon  "  an  offender,  or  "  judge  the  world." 

But  again,  the  Bible  positively  declares  the 
personality  of  God. 

(Hcb.  i.  1-3)  "  God  who  at  sundry  times  and  in 
divers  manners  spake  in  time  past  unto  the 


The  Personality  of  God  Denied       41 

fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath  in  these  last 
days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son,  whom  he 
hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom 
also  he  made  the  worlds  ;  who  being  the 
brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the  express 
image  of  his  person." 

Here  it  is  said  of  Christ,  the  Son,  that  He  is 
the  express  image  of  God's  person. 
!  If,  as  Christian  Science  says,  "nothing 
expresses  reality  or  existence  except  God," 
then  the  Bible  declaration  that  God  "  created  " 
is  not  true,  nor  would  it  have  been  possible 
for  Him  to  have  created  the  heavens  or  the 
earth  or  anything  that  is.  But,  as  we  fathom 
the  teachings  of  those  who  falsely  call  them- 
selves "  Scientists  "  we  discover  that,  like  the 
Pantheist,  they  teach  that  '*  God  is  identical 
with  Nature." 

Hence,  those  who  fall  prostrate  before  the 
rocks  and  hills  and  who  worship  the  river, 
the  fire,  and  the  storm,  are  true  worshippers 
of  God,  while  we,  who  approach  Jehovah 
through  our  Great  High  Priest  who  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us,  are  the 
deluded  ones.  Such  are  the  only  logical 
conclusions  to  which  we  can  come  if  God  is 
not  a  person  and  if  "  prayer  to  a  personal 
God  is  a  hindrance." 

But  the  word  **  created  "  implies  that  the 


J 


42     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Creator  existed  before  and  is  separate  and 
distinct  from  the  thing  created.  Hence  God 
is  self-existent  and  eternal,  and  at  His  pleas- 
ure He  can  create  and  He  can  destroy. 
What  a  blunder,  then,  to  confound  God  with 
His  own  handiwork, — the  universe  which 
He  has  spread  before  us !  How  absurd  it 
would  be  to  regard  a  house  and  the  builder 
thereof  as  one  and  the  same — and  yet  such 
is  the  teaching  of  Christian  Science  with  re- 
gard to  God  and  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the 
earth,  and  all  things  which  He  has  created. 

We  would  not  in  any  sense  undertake  to 
solve  the  mystery  of  godliness  or  to  find  out 
the  Almighty  unto  perfection,  but  this  one 
thing  is  plainly  taught  us  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, that  God  is  a  person,  as  distinct  from  all 
other  beings,  whom  He  has  created,  as  we 
are  from  each  other. 

(Ps.  xi.  4)  He  has  a  throne  in  heaven. 

(Rev.  iv.  10)  The  elders  fall  down  before  this 
throne  and  worship. 

(Ps.  xvi.  II)  In  his  presence  is  fullness  of  joy. 

(Ps.  xvi.  II)  At  God's  right  hand  there  are 
pleasures  forever  more. 

(Rev.  vii.  11)  Before  this  throne  the  angels  fall 
"Pc>n  their  faces  and  worship  God. 

(Mati.  XXV.  32)  Here  all  nations  will  be  as- 
sembled for  judgment. 


The  Personality  of  God  Denied       43 

(Rom.  xiv.  11-12)  Before  this  throne  every  knee 
shall  bow  and  every  tongue  confess  and 
here  every  one  of  us  will  give  an  account  of 
himself  to  God. 

Let,  then,  those  who  adhere  to  Christian 
Science  be  consistent,  and  cease  to  use  God's 
word  deceitfully — let  them  cease  to  use  it  at 
ally  and  let  God's  people  view  this  evil  in  its 
true  light — as  the  antichrist  of  which  we 
are  warned,  that  would  deceive  the  very 
elect  if  it  were  possible. 


VII 

JESUS  THE  CHRIST  DENIED 

On  this  subject  as  on  all  others,  the  teach- 
ing of  Christian  Science  is  subtle  and  mis- 
leading. If  we  do  not  look  deep  into  the 
meaning,  in  some  instances,  we  would  regard 
it  as  sufficiently  orthodox  ;  but  when  viewed 
in  the  light  of  other  teachings,  we  behold  the 
King  of  Glory  robbed  of  His  crown,  disowned 
as  our  Saviour,  and  even  regarded  as  being 
but  an  **  idea  "  or  a  "  myth."  Some  of  the 
misleading  passages  are  these  : 

(p.  227)  "  Jesus  the  Christ  was  the  son  of  God. 

He  was  a  mediator  between  humanity  and 

spirit." 
(p.  228)  "  The  proper  name  of  our  Master,  in  the 

Greek,  was  Jesus  the  Christ." 

Let  us  carefully  note  the  terms   used  in 

speaking  of  the  one  mediator  between  God 

and  man.     He  is  called  "  a  mediator,"  as  if 

1  there  were  others.     What  does  **  Mediator " 

mean  in  Christian  Science  ? 

\    (P-  335)  A  "  Way-shower." 

44 


Jesus  the  Christ  Denied  45 

So  then,  when  we  analyze  this  passage  it 
simply  means  that  Christ  is  only  a  way-shower 
between  humanity  and — what — God?  Oh, 
no.  Our  God  is  not  known  to  Christian 
Science,  but  **  a  way-shower  betzveen  humanity 
and  spirity^  or  **  Principle,"  as  **  Spirit  '*  is 
elsewhere  definedo 

(p-  35  S)  "Jesus  bore  our  sins  in  His  own  body." 

How  much  like  Scripture,  but  how  unscrip- 
tural.     Let  us  have  it  correct. 

(i  Pet.  ii.  24)  "  Who  his  own  self  bare  our  sins 
in  his  own  body  on  the  tree." 

As  we  fathom  this  subtle  statement  we 
discover  that  Christian  Science  denies  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  sin,  that  Jesus  had  a 
real  body,  or  that  He  suffered  in  our  room 
and  stead.     Christ  is  defined  as  only — 

(p.  562)  "  The  divine  manifestation  of  God  which 
comes  in  the^^.y^." 

But  that  He  really  came  thus  is  elsewhere 
contradicted.  Note  how  this  word  is  de- 
fined— 

(p.    565)   '*  Flesh — an   error   of  physical  belief,  I 
.     .     .     an  illusion." 

But  let  us  read  further. 


46     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  358)  "  At  the  time  when  Jesus  felt  our  infir- 
mities, he  had  not  conquered  all  the  beliefs 
of  the  flesh,  or  his  sense  of  material  life, 
nor  had  he  risen  to  his  final  demonstration 
of  spiritual  power." 

Here  it  is  plainly  stated  that  our  Saviour 
had  failed  to  conquer  what  is  explained  to 
be  "  his  sense  of  material  life."  This  must 
mean  that  Jesus,  in  common  with  His  dis- 
ciples, was  laboring  under  the  delusion  that 
matter  really  exists,  that  life  is  real  and 
earnest,  and  that  man  consisted  of  a  soul 
and  body.  It  is  equivalent  to  saying  that 
the  Master  had  not  attained  to  as  high  an 
altitude  in  knowledge  as  have  the  mere 
beginners  of  Christian  Science  at  the  present 
time. 

Again, 

(p.  228)  "  The  advent  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
marked  the  first  century  of  the  Christian 
era,  but  the  Christ  was  without  beginning  of 
years  or  end  of  days." 

(p.  229)  "  The  invisible  Christ  was  incorporeal, 
whereas  Jesus  was  a  corporeal  or  bodily  ex- 
istence." 

(p.  331)  "  The  Christ  is  the  divinity  of  the  man 
Jesus." 

Christian    Science   here   teaches   that   Jesus 
and  Christ  are  not  the  same,  but  that  Jesus 


Jesus  the  Christ  Denied  47 

was  merely  a  body  while  Christ  was  body- 
less  and  possessed  only  a  spiritual  nature. 

(Matt.  xvi.  13-16)  "Jesus  asked  his  disciples, 
saying,  whom  say  ye  that  I,  the  Son  of 
man,  am  ?  Peter  answered,  and  said.  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 

In  the  seventeenth  verse  Christ  assured 
Peter  that  he  had  given  the  correct  answer, 
and  not  only  so,  but  added, 

(Matt.  xvi.  17)  "flesh  and  blood  hath  not  re- 
vealed it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven." 

Then  these  verses  make  it  plain  that  the\ 
names  of  "Jesus"  and  "Christ"  are  syno-l 
nyms  and  ever  refer  to  the  same  person.  ^ 

(p.  334)  "  The  Christ  dwelt  forever  as  an  ideal  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Principle  of  the  man 
Jesus." 

Christian  Science  here  teaches  that  instead 
of  Jesus  being  the  Christ,  as  He  is  declared 
to  be  in  John  xx.  31,  Christ  is  so  far  from 
being  Jesus  that  He  only  dwells— nor  does 
He  dwell  in  reality;  but  as  an  idea  or  fancy, 
and  where  does  He  thus  dwell — in  the 
bosom  of  Jesus?  Nay,  but  only  "in  the 
bosom  of  the  principle  of  the  man  Jesus." 

This  expression,  like  the  larger  portion  of 
Christian  Science  teaching,  is  without  mean- 


48     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

ing  or  reason  ;  but  it  shows  that  its  author  is 
farther  from  the  remotest  idea  of  the  true 
personality  of  Jesus  Christ  than  were  those 
who  said  He  was  "John  the  Baptist,  Elias, 
Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets." 

(p.  334)  "  The  virgin-mother  conceived  this  idea 
of  God,  and  gave  to  her  ideal  the  name  of 
Jesus." 

(p.  335)  "  Jesus  was  the  offspring  of  Mary's  self- 
conscious  communion  with  God." 

Taking  these  two  passages  together,  the 
meanmg  is  simply  this — that  Mary  had  com- 
munion with  God ;  that  this  communion 
resulted  in  the  conception — not  of  a  son 
(though  the  angel  had  so  declared  to  Joseph, 
Matt.  i.  21),  nor  was  the  son  "the  only  be- 
gotten of  the  Father"  (John  i.  14),  but  Mary 
had  merely  conceived  ait  idea;  just  a 
thought,  a  fancy  had  entered  her  mind,  and 
that  fancy  she  called  Jesus.  Thus  the  Jesus 
of  Christian  Science  is  nothing  more  than  an 
idea  which  passed  through  the  mind  of  the 
Virgin  Mary. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  our  Bible  and  read  its 
simple  story  about  Christ. 

(Luke  ii.  7)  "  And  she  brought  forth  her  first 
born  son,  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger ;  because 
there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn." 


Jesus  the  Christ  Denied  49 

If  Christian  Science  is  correct,  this  passage 
should  read,  **And  she  brought  forth  her  first 
born  idea,  and  wrapped  it  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  it  in  a  manger ;  because 
there  was  no  room  for  ideas  in  the  inn." 

(Matt.  ii.  1 3)  "  Arise,  and  take  the  young  child 
and  his  mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and 
be  thou  there  until  I  bring  thee  word ;  for 
Herod  will  seek  the  young  child  to  destroy 
him." 

(Luke  ii.  28)  "  Then  he  took  him  up  in  his 
arms." 

(Luke  ii.  43)  "  The  child  Jesus  tarried  behind  in 
Jerusalem." 

If  we  substitute  the  word  **  idea "  in  these 
verses  for  the  word  "  child,"  we  cannot  but 
be  shocked  at  the  absurdity  ;  and  yet,  to  be 
consistent,  that  is  what  Christian  Science 
must  do.  If  these  changes  be  made,  we 
would  read  that  **  Joseph  was  warned  to  take 
the  young  idea  and  its  mother  and  flee  into 
Egypt,  for  Herod  would  seek  its  destruc- 
tion." Such  rendering  would  present  Sim- 
eon taking  an  idea  up  in  his  arms,  and  it 
would  present  an  idea  as  tarrying  at  Jeru- 
salem and  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors, 
both  hearing  them  and  asking  them  ques- 
tions. 


50     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  229)  '*  The  divine  idea,  or  Christ,  was,  is  and 
ever  will  be  inseparable  from  its  divine  prin- 
ciple, God." 

(p.  229)  *•  The  invisible,  the  spiritual  idea,  or  the 
Christ." 

(p.  231)  "  A  portion  of  God  could  not  enter 
corporeal  man ;  neither  could  His  fullness  be 
reflected  by  him." 

From  the  quotation  on  page  228,  as  already 
observed,  it  would  seem  that  Jesus  was 
merely  a  body.  On  page  334  this  same  Jesus 
is  said  to  be  but  an  ideUy  conceived  by  Mary. 
Again,  on  page  229,  Christ  is  also  defined 
as  only  an  idea. 

It  certainly  would  be  difficult  to  harmonize 
these  passages,  but  one  thing  is  clear — the 
incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  is  most  emphatic- 
ally denied. 

Let  us  again  examine  our  Bibles  and  ask 
God  to  give  us  light  on  this  subject. 

(Luke  i.  35)  "  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon 
thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest  shall 
overshadow  thee ;  therefore  also  that  holy 
thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be 
called  the  Son  of  God." 

(John  i.  14)  He  is  "  the  only  begotten  son  of  the 
Father." 

(Heb.  X.  10)  "  By  which  will  we  are  sanctified, 
through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus 
Christ  once  for  all." 


Jesus  the  Christ  Denied  51 

From    these   passages   it   is  evident  thati 

Jesus   Christ  has  a  body,  and  it  is  equally! 

evident  that  Jesus  and  Christ  are  one  andf 
the  same  person. 

(Luke  xxiv.  39)  "  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet, 
that  it  is  I  myself;  handle  me  and  see;  for 
a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see 
me  have." 

(Luke  xxiv.  42,  43)  "And  they  gave  him  a 
piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honeycomb, 
and  he  took  it,  and  did  eat  before  them." 

We  cannot  think  of  any  way  in  which 
Christ  could  have  more  fully  demonstrated 
to  the  disciples  that  He  was  not  a  mere 
**idea"  or  myth,  than  for  Him  to  have  eaten 
in  their  presence.  Nor  can  we  conceive  of 
a  more  effectual  method  to  prove,  con- 
clusively, that  He  had  an^^en  from  the  dead, 
with  the  identical  body  in  which  He  was 
crucified,  than  by  the  manner  in  which  He 
gratified  the  doubting  disciple  : 

(John  XX.  27)  '•  Then  saith  he  to  Thomas  "  (in 
the  presence  of  the  other  disciples)  "  Reach 
hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands, 
and  reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it 
into  my  side ;  and  be  not  faithless,  but  be- 
lieving." 

(Heb.  xiii.  8)  "  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday, 
and  to-day,  and  forever." 


52     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

These  words  deda.re  /esus  Christ  to  be  co- 
existent with  God  the  Father. 

But  of  the  blasphemous  teachings  of  Chris- 
tian Science  concerning  our  Saviour,  what 
can  we  say  ?  Ah  !  let  us  be  silent  and  listen 
with  reverence,  while  the  Holy  Spirit  rebukes 
them: 

(i  John  ii.  22)  "  Who  is  a  liar,  but  he  that  de- 
nieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  ?  " 

(l  John  iv.  2,  3)  ♦'  Hereby  know  ye  the  spirit  of 
God;  every  spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,  is  of  God ;  and 
every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,  is  not  of  God; 
and  this  is  that  spirit  of  antichrist,  whereof 
ye  have  heard  that  it  should  come;  and 
even  now  already  it  is  in  the  world." 

(2  John  7)  "  For  many  deceivers  are  entered 
into  the  world,  who  confess  not  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh.  This  is  a  de- 
ceiver and  an  antichrist." 


VIII 

MATTER—ITS  EXISTENCE  DENIED  / 

(p.  173)  "  Nothing  we  can  say  or  believe  regard- 
ing matter  is  true,  except  that  matter  is 
unreal."  \ 

(p.  452)  "  All  is  mind,  there  is  no  matter." 

After  such  a  declaration  as  this,  it  would 
seem  that  Christian  Science  would  have  noth- 
ing more  to  say.  It  declares  the  testimony 
of  our  five  senses  to  be  absolutely  false; 
that  seeing,  hearing,  touching,  tasting  and 
smelling  are  but  hallucinations.  Therefore, 
according  to  its  teaching,  that  which  we  call 
the  earth  is  but  an  illusion.  It  is  not  in  reality 
beneath  our  feet,  nor  are  the  heavens  above 
our  heads.  The  sun,  moon,  and  stars  are 
not  God's  handiwork,  but  only  fancies  of  our 
distorted  minds.  The  trees  and  brooks  and 
all  the  beauties  of  Nature  and  our  very  exist- 
ence is  but  a  dream.  Such  declarations  we 
believe  can  emanate  from  no  other  source 
than  "the  father  of  lies,"  the  "God  of  this 
world  who  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them 
which  believe  not."  They  are  like  to  the 
ravings  of  a  maniac  and  the  utterances  that 
53 


54     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

proceed  from  those  who  are  hopelessly  mad. 
But  since  their  seductive  teachings  are  lis- 
tened to  by  multitudes,  and  since  thousands 
of  people  are  assenting  to  them — many  of 
whom  are  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  real 
teachings  of  Christian  Science ;  since,  also, 
this  monstrosity  comes  in  the  name  of  our 
Christ,  calls  itself  infallible,  and  has  bound 
its  vile  book  between  the  same  covers  as  our 
blessed  Bible.  In  view  of  all  these  facts,  it 
becomes  the  children  of  the  living  God  to 
arise  and  repudiate  the  insults  heaped  upon 
His  Son.  We  will,  therefore,  proceed  to 
prove  that  life  is  real,  and  that  it  is  earnest, 
and  that  matter  does  exist. 

Yet,  to  attempt  to  reason  with  those  who 
deny  the  testimony  of  their  own  senses  would 
be  the  height  of  folly,  since  it  is  only  by  these 
witnesses  that  any  fact  in  this  life  can  be 
established. 

When  the  disciples  of  John  delivered  his 
message  to  Jesus,  and  said  unto  Him : 

(Matt.  xi.  2-5)  "  Art  thou  he  that  should  come, 
or  do  we  look  for  another?"  "Jesus  an- 
swered, and  said  unto  them,  Go,  and  shew 
John  again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear 
and  see.  The  blind  receive  their  sight,  and 
the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and 
the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up." 


Matter — Its  Existence  Denied         55 

But  this  authority,  coming  from  the  lips  of 
Christ,  could  avail  nothing  with  Christian 
Scientists,  since  they  deny  the  testimony  of 
both  their  eyes  and  ears.  To  them,  men 
have  no  eyes  with  which  to  see ;  therefore 
even  Christ  could  neither  give  nor  restore 
sight.  To  them  there  are  no  lame  people — 
men  do  not  even  possess  limbs,  and  therefore 
even  Christ  could  not  make  them  to  walk. 
As  for  the  lepers — there  is  no  such  thing  as 
disease  of  any  kind ;  therefore  Christ's  claim 
that  He  cleansed  them  was  untrue.  The 
sense  of  hearing  is  but  a  delusion,  which 
even  Christ  could  not  make  real,  and  as  for 
the  dead,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  death. 

Thus  even  the  most  sacred  utterances  of 
Christ,  when  He  refers  to  matter,  come  with 
no  authority  whatever  to  those  who  deny  its 
existence. 

There  is,  therefore,  no  method  by  which 
we  can  reason  with  Christian  Scientists  on 
the  existence  of  matter,  only  to  prove  that, 
by  the  same  method  by  which  they  seek  to 
overthrow  the  testimony  of  our  senses  in 
proof  of  everything  to  which  they  bear 
witness.  Christian  Science  is  itself  a  fraud. 
If  our  eyes  and  ears  and  sense  of  feeling  are 
only  deceivers  and  if  we  cannot  believe  their 
testimony  regarding  other  matters,  how  can 


56     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

we  accept  what  they  testify  to  us  regarding 
Christian  Science  ?  It  is  only  through  them 
that  we  have  ever  learned  anything  about 
**  Science  and  Health "  or  its  author,  and  if 
they  have  lied  to  us  about  everything  else, 
they  are  surely  lying  to  us  about  these  things. 
Therefore  by  the  same  method  by  which 
Christian  Scientists  undertake  to  disprove 
the  existence  of  matter,  we  can  overthrow 
their  entire  system. 

Furthermore,  we  will  show  that  *'  Science 
and  Health"  contradicts  itself  and  unwit- 
tingly acknowledges  that  matter  exists.  In 
attempting  to  prove  that  appearances  are 
often  erroneous,  it  acknowledges  the  exist- 
ence of  our  earth  as  well  as  that  of  the  entire 
solar  system. 

(p.  1 5)  "  The  earth  revolves  about  the  sun  once  a 
year,  besides  turning  daily  on  its  own  axis." 
(p.  10)  "  Mortals  are  corporeal." 

This  is  the  same  as  to  say  **  Man  has  a  ma- 
terial body." 

(p.  255)  "Matter  is  neither  intelligent  nor  crea- 
tive." 

How  can  Christian  Science  harmonize  this 
statement  with  the  declaration  that  "  there  is 
no  matter"  ? 


Matter — Its  Existence  Denied         57 

(p.  178)  "  Mind  cannot  pass  into  non-intelligence 
and  matter." 

Compare  this  with 

(l  Cor.  vi.  19)  "  Your  body  is  the  temple  of  the 

Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you." 
(p.  5 1 1)  "This    is   the   error — that   mortal   man 

starts  from  dust." 

Note  how  this  is  contradicted  in 

(Gen.  ii.  7)  "  God  formed  man  from  the  dust  of 
the  ground." 

If,  then,  it   is   an  ** error"  that   man  was 
formed  from  dust  God's  record  is  untrue. 

(p.  9,  Preface)  "  A  child  drinks  in  the  outward 
world  through  the  eyes,  and  rejoices  in  the 
draught.  He  is  as  sure  of  the  world's  exist- 
ence as  of  his  own." 

No  exception  can  be  taken  to  this  statement, 
but  Christian  Scientists,  to  be  consistent,  should 
blindfold  their  children  from  infancy  and  thus 
prevent  their  optic  nerves  from  conveying 
such  gigantic  lies  to  their  minds. 

But  now  we  address  ourselves  to  reason- 
able men.  With  such  it  seems  to  be  a  waste 
of  time  to  prove  a  thing  that  is  self-evident ; 
yet  it  cannot  be  amiss  to  obtain  a  clear  under- 
standing about  God's  teachings  on  this  sub- 


58     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

ject  and  especially  so  since  Christian  Science 
has  so  much  to  say  about  His  word,  and  so 
often  misconstrues  and  misquotes  it. 

(Gen.  i.    i)  "  God  created  the   heaven   and  the 
earth." 

To  create  means  to  "  bring  into  being ;  to 
cause  to  exist."  Such  is  beyond  the  power 
of  man  and  even  beyond  his  conception  ;  but 
the  evidence  that  a  creation  has  taken  place 
is  so  overwhelmingly  great  that  we  only  have 
to  open  our  eyes  and  behold  the  heavens  and 
the  earth. 

That  the  earth  is  composed  of  matter  may 
be  proved  from  the  following  words  :  "  God 
formed  man  from  the  dust  of  the  ground." 
**  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as 
it  was  ;  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God 
who  gave  it." 

Dust  is  not  spirit,  nor  is  it  mind  or  soul ; 
but  it  is  matter.  It  was  when  God  breathed 
into  the  nostrils  of  man  whom  He  had  formed 
that  "he  became  a  living  soul,"  and  it  is 
when  the  separation  of  this  soul  and  body 
takes  place  that  man  returns  to  the  ground 
out  of  which  he  was  taken ;  then  it  is  clear 
that  "  dust  we  are  and  unto  dust  shalt  we 
return  "  (Gen.  iii.  19). 

But   Christian    Science   in    '•  Science   and 


Matter — Its  Existence  Denied         59 

Health"  (p.  526),  substitutes  "nothingness" 
for  the  word  **  dust "  in  this  very  passage, 
and  if  its  application  would  be  correct  here, 
it  would  be  in  all  other  passages  where  it 
occurs  or  where  matter  in  any  of  its  forms  is 
referred  to.  Let  us,  therefore,  substitute 
this  word  as  Christian  Science  would  have 
us  do  in  a  number  of  passages  and  the  ab- 
surdity of  such  a  rendering  will  be  made 
more  apparent  than  perhaps  it  could  be  in 
any  other  manner. 

**  God  created  nothingness "  (Gen.  i.  i) ; 
"  And  God  called  the  dry  nothingness  earth, 
and  the  gathering  together  of  the  noth- 
ingness called  he  the  seas"  (Gen.  i.  10). 
**  Nothingness  thou  art,  and  unto  nothingness 
shalt  thou  return  "  (Gen.  iii.  19).  (Why  would 
an  infinitely  wise  being  waste  time  in  speak- 
ing to  a  nothingness?)  **As  nothingness 
without  the  spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without 
works  is  dead  also"  (James  ii.  26).  (How 
much  more  could  nothingness  be  alive  with 
a  spirit  than  without  it  ?)  "  But  nothingness 
which  are  now,  by  the  same  word  are  kept 
in  store,  reserved  unto  fire  against  the  day 
of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men  " 
(2  Peter  iii.  7).  (How  could  nothmgness  be 
now,  or  how  could  nothingness  be  kept  in 
store  and  reserved  mto  fire  ?)     But  the  time 


6o     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

would  fail  us  to  show  the  innumerable  ab- 
surdities into  which  such  a  rendering  would 
lead  us. 

Thus,  Christian  Science  flatly  denies  the 
teaching  of  God's  word  with  regard  to 
creation.  It  says  God  created  nothing,  and 
it  puts  the  Almighty  before  us  in  the  attitude 
of  a  liar. 


IX 

SIN  AND  EVIL 

(p.  207)  "  Sin  exists  only  so  long  as  the  material 
illusion  remains." 

In  other  words,  as  soon  as  we  become  con- 
vinced that  matter  is  unreal,  we  will  no  longer 
have  any  sense  of  sin  even  though  we  may 
be  guilty  of  the  vilest  crimes.  — 

In  our  chapter  on  Matter  we  not  only 
proved  its  existence  from  the  Bible  and  from 
reason,  but  demonstrated  it  to  be  real  by 
the  same  witnesses  as  testify  to  us  about  the 
false  doctrines  advocated  by  Christian  Science 
— viz. :  our  eyes  and  ears.  Therefore,  if 
matter  is  an  illusion,  there  is  nothing  that  is 
real — not  even  the  existence  of  such  a  book 
as  **  Science  and  Health "  or  the  teachings 
advocated  therein.  But  since  matter  is  not 
an  illusion,  then  sin  really  exists  and  the  be- 
lief that  we  are  not  sinners  only  makes  us  the 
more  vile  in  the  eyes  of  God. 

(p.  loi)  "  The  unreality  of  evil." 
(p.  165)  "  The  nothingness  of  evil." 
61 


62     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  464)  "  Evil  is  but  an  illusion." 
(p.  237)  •'  Evil  has  no  reality." 
(p.  459)  "  Man  is  incapable  of  sin." 
(p.  4)  "  The  awful  unreality  called  evil." 


In  passages  without  number  "  Science  and 
Health  "  quotes  and  misquotes  Scripture  in 
an  attempt  to  sustain  itself  by  forcing  false 
meanings  into  God's  word.  In  proof,  there- 
fore, that  the  above  declarations  about  sin 
are  unfounded  in  the  Scriptures,  let  us  con- 
sider the  following : 

(i  John  i.  8)  •'  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we 
deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in 
us." 

(Num.  xxxii.  23)  "  Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you 
out."  (Men  may  for  a  while  enjoy  the  fruits 
of  their  wickedness,  but  a  dreadful  judgment 
shall  tread  upon  the  heels  of  their  sin.) 

(Isa.  hx.  2)  "  But  your  iniquities  have  separated 
between  you  and  your  God,  and  your  sins 
have  hid  his  face  from  you,  that  he  will  not 
hear." 

By  the  sacrifices  under  the  old  dispensation 
the  reality  of  sin  was  deeply  impressed  upon 
all  people.  Therefore,  every  lamb  or  bullock 
that  was  slain  and  offered  upon  Jewish  altars 
was  an  acknowledgment  of  sin  against  God 


Sin  and  Evil  63 

and   a   petition   for  pardon   for  the  offense, 
through  this  typical  ofi^ering. 

(i  Pet.  ii.  24)  "  Who  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in 

his  own  body  on  the  tree." 
(Isa.  liii.  5)  "  But  he  was  wounded  for  our  trans- 
gressions, he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities  ; 
the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him ; 
and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed." 
'(i  Cor.  XV.  3)  "  Christ  died  for  our  sins." 
-{2  Cor.  V.  21)  "  He  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for 
us,  who  knew  no  sin." 

In  these  verses  the  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
ment is  plainly  set  forth.  Christ's  offering 
upon  the  cross  became  necessary,  because  no 
other  being  in  the  universe  could  accomplish 
the  end,  neither  could  all  the  blood  of  goats 
and  bulls  that  had  been  sacrificed  remove  a 
single  sin.  Our  sins  are  such  an  awful  reality 
that  to  cleanse  us  required  the  death  of  God's 
only  begotten  Son.  ^J 

Thus  we  have  set  the   Bible  side  by  sidel  i 
with  the  teachings  of  Christian  Science  on  J 
the  subject  of  sin,  and  we  find  that  they  flatly  \ 
contradict  each  other.     The  Bible  says  that 
"  the  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness  "  (i  John 
V.  19).     Christian    Science   not   only   denies 
that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  evil,  but  it  plainly   j 
declares  that  "man  is  mcapable  of  sin." 


64     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(i  Tim.  iv.  i)  **  Now  the  spirit  speaketh  expressly, 
that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from 
the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits, 
and  doctrines  of  devils." 

If  the  proclamation  of  man's  inability  to  sin 
is  not  one  of  Satan's  doctrines,  we  cannot 
conceive  what  would  be.  A  few  centuries 
ago  Luther  made  Germany  ring  with  the 
atrociousness  of  putting  a  price  on  crime  in 
the  sale  of  indulgences,  but  what  a  tame  thing 
that  was  compared  to  opening  the  flood-gates 
of  iniquity,  inviting  men  to  enter  if  they  so 
desire,  and  telling  them  that  *'  evil  is  but  an 
illusion." 

When  we  follow  these  teachings  to  their 
logical  conclusions,  a  murderer  is  as  innocent 
as  he  who  administers  relief  to  the  suffering. 
A  thief  has  done  nothing  amiss,  the  adulterer 
need  not  hide  his  head  in  shame,  and  he  who 
has  committed  crime  of  whatever  nature  is  to 
receive  equal  homage  for  his  deeds  with  the 
philanthropist  who  has  spent  his  all  for  the 
good  of  his  fellow  men. 

But  while  Christian  Science  so  positively 
denies  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  sin,  yet 
it  flatly  contradicts  itself  in  the  following 
language : 

(p.  92)  "  Sin  alone  brings  death/' 
(p.  99)  "  The  sinner  is  a  suicide." 


Sin  and  Evil  65 

(p.  1 30)  "  Sin  is  thought  before  it  is  acted." 
(p.  123)  "  Evil  and  error  lead  into  captivity." 
(p.  334)  "  Christians  must  take  up  arms  against 
error  at  home  and  abroad.     They  must  grap- 
ple with  sin,  in  themselves  and  in  others." 

We  can  conceive  of  no  way  in  which  these 
passages  can  be  harmonized  with  the  former 
ones,  nor  can  we  account  for  such  an  ac- 
knowledgment that  after  all  there  really  is 
such  a  thing  as  "  evil,"  '*  sin  "  and  **  death." 
Except  it  be  that  like  Balaam  who,  when  he 
wanted  to  curse  God's  people,  only  pro- 
nounced a  blessing  upon  them — so  the  author 
of  "Science  and  Health"  in  these  instances 
denies  her  former  teachings  because  she  is 
not  permitted  to  "  go  beyond  the  word  of  the 
Lord."  Her  testimony  here  regarding  sin 
and  death  is  much  in  accord  with  the  Bible, 
which  not  only  teaches  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  sin,  but  also  declares  that  God  **  will 
not  justify  the  wicked"  (Ex.  xxiii.  7),  for 
"though  hand  join  hand,  the  wicked  shall  not 
be  unpunished"  (Prov.  xi.  21)  and  this  pun- 
ishment is  said  by  Christ  to  be  everlasting 
(Matt.  xxv.  46).  So  terrible  a  thing  is  sin 
that  to  Israel  it  was  said,  "Your  iniquities 
have  separated  between  you  and  your  God, 
and  your  sins  have  hid  his  face  from  you,  that 
he  will  not  hear  "  (Isa.  lix.  2). 


66     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

But  the  most  vivid  of  all  pictures  of  sin  and 
its  awful  consequences  is  that  drawn  by 
Christ. 

(Luke  xvi.  19-26)  "  There  was  a  certain  rich  man, 
which  was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  hnen, 
and  fared  sumptuously  every  day ;  and 
there  was  a  certain  beggar  named  Lazarus 
which  was  laid  at  his  gate,  full  of  sores,  and 
desiring  to  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  which 
fell  from  the  rich  man's  table  ;  moreover  the 
dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  that  the  beggar  died,  and 
was  carried  by  the  angels  into  Abraham's 
bosom ;  the  rich  man  also  died  and  was 
buried  ;  and  in  hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  being 
in  torments,  and  seeth  Abraham  afar  off  and 
Lazarus  in  his  bosom.  And  he  cried  and 
said,  Father  Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me 
and  send  Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip 
of  his  finger  in  water  and  cool  my  tongue; 
for  I  am  tormented  in  this  fiame.  But  Abra- 
ham said,  Son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy 
lifetime  receivedst  thy  good  things,  and 
likewise  Lazarus  evil  things  ;  but  now  he  is 
comforted,  and  thou  art  tormented.  And 
beside  all  this,  between  us  and  you  there  is  a 
great  gulf  fixed ;  so  that  they  which  would 
pass  from  hence  to  you  cannot;  neither 
can  they  pass  to  us,  that  would  come  from 
thence." 

Soon  after  Christ  had  thus  depicted  the 
eternal  destiny  of  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked,  a  tragedy  occurred  upon   Calvary 


Sin  and  Evil  67 

which  revealed  to  the  world  the  reality  of  sin 
in  a  more  emphatic  manner  than  any  event 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  Listen  to  the 
agonizing  cries  of  the  Son  of  God  as  He  hung 
upon  the  cross  and  while  He  sweat  great 
drops  of  blood — ''My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  (Matt,  xxvii.  46). 
Ah  1  the  reason  was  because  of  our  sins  ! 
Jesus  was  our  representative — when  there  was 
no  eye  to  pity  or  arm  able  to  deliver,  Christ 
stepped  upon  the  scene  in  our  behalf.  God 
forsook  Him  because  He  was  suffering  in  our 
room  and  stead. 

Had  sin  been  "  unreal "  or  but  an  "  illusion  " 
would  Christ  have  left  the  glory  which  He 
had  with  the  Father  and  undergone  such  suf- 
ferings and  death?  Nay,  above  all  places, 
when  we  are  overshadowed  by  the  Cross,  let 
it  not  be  intimated  that  men  cannot  sin. 

Thus  in  these  declarations  Christian  Science 
denies  the  atonement  of  Christ,  His  mission 
to  earth  to  save  souls,  and  sets  at  naught  the 
entire  word  of  God. 


X 

SEX,  GENERATION  AND  MARRIAGE 

(p.  201)  "  Gender  is  a  quality,  a  characteristic  of 
mind,  not  of  matter." 

If  this  rule  applies  to  human  beings,  it 
would  also  apply  to  all  animals.  Therefore, 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  distinction  of  sex 
among  human  beings  or  the  brute  creation, 
only  as  is  indicated  by  their  mental  character- 
istics. Such  are  the  teachings  of  Christian 
Science,  while  Jesus  declares  of  man  and  wife 
that  "  God  made  them  male  and  female." 

(p.  274)  "  The  time  also  cometh  of  which  Jesus 
spake,  when  he  declared  that  in  the  resur- 
rection there  should  be  no  more  marrying 
or  giving  in  marriage,  but  mortals  should 
be  as  angels.  Then  shall  soul  rejoice  in  its 
own,  wherein  passion  hath  no  part.  Then 
white-robed  purity  shall  unite  masculine 
Wisdom  and  feminine  Love  in  spiritual  un- 
derstanding and  perpetual  union.  Until  it 
is  learned  that  generation  rests  on  no  sexual 
basis,  let  marriage  continue." 

(p.  275)  "  Matrimony,  which  was   once  a  fixed 
fact  among  us,  must  lose  its  present  slippery 
footing,   and   find   permanence   in   a  more 
spiritual  adherence." 
68 


Sex,  Generation  and  Marriage         69 

(p.  266)  "  Marriage  is  the  only  legal  and  moral 
provision  for  the  generation  among  human 
kind.  Until  the  spiritual  creation  is  dis- 
cerned, and  the  union  of  male  and  female 
apprehended  as  in  the  vision  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse, .  .  .  this  union  should  con- 
tinue." 


To  define  the  exact  meaning  of  the  above 
is  a  task  of  which  the  writer  is  not  capable, 
but  these  things  are  very  plainly  taught : 

1.  That  a  time  is  coming  when  marriage 
will  be  discontinued. 

2.  That  that  time  will  be  when  "it  is 
learned  that  generation  rests  on  710  sexual 
basis  y 

3.  Christ's  reference  to  the  resurrection  is 
construed  to  mean  that  time  when  Christian 
Science  will  have  entirely  done  away  with 
marriage,  and  when  generation  will  con- 
tinue without  this  divine  ordinance. 

4.  Matrimony — instituted  by  God  Him- 
self for  the  welfare  and  perpetuation  of  the 
human  race  is  to  be  done  away  with  by 
Christian  Science,  and  an  undefined  "  per- 
petual union  "  between  "  masculine  wisdom 
and  feminine  Love"  (whatever  that  means) 
is  to  be  substituted  in  its  place. 

5.  "  This  union  "  (marriage)  "  should  con- 
tinue until  the  spiritual  creation  is  discerned^^ 


yo      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

but  as  soon  as  "  human  kind  "  make  this  dis- 
covery and  discern  the  spiritual  creation, 
"generation  may  take  place  without  'mar- 
riage,'" the  present ''legal  and  moral  pro- 
vision." 

Thus  Christian  Science  and  the  Bible  are 
at  swords'  points  : 

1.  Christian  Science  declares  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  sex  while  the  Bible  teaches 
(Gen.  i.  27)  that  *' God  created  male  and 
female." 

2.  Christian  Science  declares  that  "  gen- 
eration rests  on  no  sexual  basis  "  w  hile  the 
Bible  teaches  that  God's  command  to  those 
whom  He  has  "joined  together"  as  man  and 
wife  is  that  they  (Gen.  i.  28)  "  be  fruitful  and 
multiply."  From  the  beginning  generation 
has  rested  on  sexual  basis,  as  is  abundantly 
proved  by  the  genealogies  of  the  Old  and 
the  New  Testaments  as  well  as  those  of  later 
years. 

3.  Christian  Science,  which  denies  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  death,  declares  that 
in  this  mortal  state  of  our  existence  marriage 
is  to  cease,  while  Christ  teaches  that  it  will 
not  cease  until  we  become  immortal  by  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead  (Matt.  xxii.  29,  30). 

4.  Christian  Science  declares  that  matri- 
mony is  to  lose  the  footing  upon  which  God 


Sex,  Generation  and  Marriage         71 

established  it,  while  Christ  teaches  that  until 
**  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  "  '*  marrying 
and  giving  in  marriage  shall  continue " 
(Matt.  xxiv.  38,  39). 

5.  Christian  Science  declares  that  after 
what  it  calls  **the  spiritual  creation  is  dis- 
cerned," generation  may  take  place  without 
marriage,  while  Jesus  teaches  that  **  whoso- 
ever looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her 
hath  already  committed  adultery  with  her  in 
his  heart"  (Matt.  v.  28).  No  exception  is 
made  for  those  who  may  imagine  that  they 
have  discerned  a  spiritual  creation^  but  the 
very  impulse  of  generation  without  marriage 
is  here  rebuked  by  Christ  as  amongst  the 
vilest  of  crimes. 

(P-  334)  "  The  illumination  of  Mary's  spiritual 
sense  put  to  silence  material  law,  and  its 
order  of  generation,  and  brought  forth  her 
child  by  the  revelation  of  Truth,  demon- 
strating God  as  the  Father  of  men." 

From  the  supernatural  conception  of 
Christ,  Christian  Science  here  attempts  to 
prove  its  declaration  that  **  generation  rests 
on  no  sexual  basis,"  but  with  regard  to  this 
conception,  note  : 

I.  That  Mary  said  unto  the  angel,  "How 
shall  this  thing  be,  seeing  I  know  not  a  man  ? 


72      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

And  the  angel  answered  and  said  unto  her, 
The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and 
the  power  of  the  Highest  shall  overshadow 
thee  "  (Luke  i.  34,  35). 

2.  Though  this  conception  was  revealed 
unto  Mary,  yet  she  in  no  sense  adopted  the 
Christian  Science  delusion  regarding  genera- 
tion. Nay,  so  far  from  it  that  we  are  told 
that  Joseph  her  husband  knew  her  not  until 
she  had  brought  forth  her  first-born  son 
(Matt.  i.  25) ;  but  what  afterwards  ?  Read 
Matt.  xiii.  55,  56.  Here  we  learn  that  Joseph 
and  Mary  had  become  the  parents  of  a  large 
family  of  sons  and  daughters. 

Thus  in  Christian  Science  attempting  to 
sustain  its  groundless  attitude  with  regard  to 
generation  from  the  miraculous  conception 
of  Christ,  it  only  defeats  itself  and  proves  the 
opposite  from  the  same  records. 

From  the  above  it  is  plain  that  Christian 
Science  is  seeking  in  its  subtle  manner  to 
undermine  the  divine  institution  of  marriage, 
and  while  it  acknowledges  that  it  is  the  only 
legal  and  moral  provision  for  generation,  yet 
it  advocates  that  it  be  abolished  by  those  who 
can  discern  the  "  spiritual  creation."  But  who 
can  so  discern  except  "  students  "  of  Christian 
Science  who  have  advanced  far  enough  in  its 
false  teachings  to  deny  the  existence  of  matter 


Sex,  Generation  and  Marriage         73 

and  believe  that  "  nothing  possesses  reality 
or  existence  except  mind  "  ?  (p.  226). 

Therefore,  marriage  is  tolerated  by  Chris- 
tian Science  only  because  its  adherents  are 
not  all  sufficiendy  advanced  in  the  doctrine 
of  "spiritual  creation"  to  discontinue  the 
*'  union  "  and  because  the  world,  bad  as  it  is, 
is  not  willing  for  the  appalling  results  that 
would  inevitably  follow  the  breaking  down 
of  this  bulwark  to  society. 

"Marriage  is  the  divinely  uplifted  dyke 
that  keeps  back  the  inrush  of  the  tidal  wave 
of  lust,  mad  passion,  and  lawless  gratification. 
Marriage  is  the  basis  of  all  social  security  and 
purity.  Abolish  marriage,  break  down  the 
sacredness  of  motherhood,  the  nobility  of 
fatherhood,  and  the  unshamed  right  of  child- 
hood, and  every  institution  of  order  and  de- 
cency would  go  down  with  a  crash,  as  when 
a  temple  swings  and  sways,  and  then  sinks 
to  its  fall  because  its  base  no  longer  re- 
mains." * 

If  left  to  itself  Christian  Science  would 
soon  precipitate  these  most  dreadful  condi- 
tions in  society,  and  with  its  denial  of  the 
actual  existence  of  sin  and  evil,  it  must  ever 
remain  silent  amid  the  corruption,  degrada- 

*  I.  M.  Haldeman  in  his  excellent  book,  "  Christian  Science 
in  the  Light  of  Holy  Scripture," 


74      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

tion,  and  lawlessness  brought  by  it  upon  the 
human  race. 

But  blessed  be  God  for  His  promise  that 
"  when  the  enemy  shall  come  in  like  a  flood 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  lift  up  a  standard 
against  him."  Just  to  what  extent  God  will 
permit  these  delusive  teachings  to  spread,  we 
do  not  know,  nor  can  we  tell  hqw  long  He 
will  permit  the  heathen  to  rage  and  the  people 
to  imagine  a  vain  thing ;  but  we  do  know 
that  ''  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  re- 
new their  strength  ;  they  shall  mount  up  with 
wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run  and  not  be 
weary,  and  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint." 


XI 

SICKNESS  AND  DISEASE 

As  a  premise  Christian  Science  denies  the 
existence  of  matter.  If  we  grant  this  premise, 
we  must  acknowledge  the  logical  conclusion 
— that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  sickness  or 
disease.  In  a  previous  chapter  we  think  we 
demonstrated  the  premise  to  be  false — hence 
the  conclusion  is  groundless. 

Nevertheless  since  '*  Science  and  Health," 
in  passages  without  number,  denies  the  re- 
ality of  sickness  and  disease,  and  since  it 
declares 

(p.  384)  "  that  the  evidence  of  the  senses  is  not 
to  be  accepted  in  the  case  of  sickness  " 

we  feel  impelled  to  refute  the  statements.  If 
we  deny  the  evidence  of  the  senses  in  the 
case  of  sickness  we  must  deny  their  testimony 
in  everything,  including  what  we  see  and  hear 
about  this  so-called  Christian  Science.  When 
we  dispute  the  testimony  of  our  eyes  and 
ears,  denying  that  we  see  evidences  of  suffer- 
ing in  the  emaciated  bodies  of  our  fellow  be- 
ings ;  that  we  hear  their  agonizing  cries  and 
75 


76     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

groans ;  and  when  lying  on  beds  of  anguish 
we  tell  our  own  sense  of  feeling  that  it  is  ly- 
ing to  us — then  we  may  also  deny  that  there 
is  such  a  book  as  "  Science  and  Health,"  that 
there  is  a  people  who  call  themselves  Chris- 
tian Scientists,  and  that  amongst  this  people 
there  are  those  who  pretend  to  be  healers, 
insisting  upon  the  payment  of  money  for 
restoring  to  health  those  whom  they  say  were 
never  sick.  It  ill  becomes  those  who  believe 
and  teach  such  absurdities  to  call  themselves 
"Scientists"  or  "healers." 
But  now  to  our  subject : 

(p.  II,  Preface)  "Sin  and  disease  lose  their  re- 
ality." 

How  could  they  lose  what  the  same  authority 
elsewhere  declares  that  they  never  possessed  ? 

(p.  2)  "  Disease   is  the  false  testimony  of  false 
material  sense." 

This  is  a  scientific  (?)  expression  signifying 
that  there  is  no  disease. 

(p.  8)  "  The  author  calls  sick  and  sinful  humanity 
mortal  mind." 

And  by  "mortal  mind,"  as  the  phrase  is 
used  in  teaching  Christian  Science,  it  is  meant 
to  designate  something  which  has  no   real 


Sickness  and  Disease  77 

existence.  Therefore,  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  sickness. 

(P-  373)  "  The  body,  when  bereft  of  mortal  mind, 

at  first  cools." 

Since  *'  mortal  mind  "  and  "  sick  humanity  " 
are  synonyms,  this  passage  might  also  read 
— **  The  body,  when  bereft  of  sick  Jnnnanity, 
at  first  cools."  Either  of  these  expressions 
is  nonsense ;  but  such  is  scientific  (?)  phrase- 
ology, and  to  complete  the  absurdity,  we 
read : 

(p.  392)  "  Man  is  never  sick."     Then  in  almost 

the  same  breath  it  is  said,  "  It  is  well  to  be 

calm  in  sickness." 
(p.  372)  "  Disease  is  a  fear." 
(p.  46)  "  You  say  a  boil  is  painful ;  but  that  is 

impossible." 
(p.  406)  "  Sickness  is  always  hallucination." 
(p.  410)  "Argue  with  the  patient  (mentally,  not 

audibly)  that  he  has  no  disease." 

Whether  mentally  or  audibly,  it  matters  not, 
since  in  Christian  Science  there  are  neither 
sounds  nor  auditory  nerves  to  receive  them. 

(p.  477)  "  Sickness  is  an  illusion.'V 

The  above  quotations  are  all  that  are 
necessary  to  prove  that  Christian  Science  de- 
clares that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  sickness 


78     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

or  disease,  that  the  afflicted  are  only  suffer- 
ing from  hallucinations,  and  that  boils  and 
even  cancers  are  not  painful. 

How  rational  beings  can  make  such  utter- 
ances is  inexplicable  on  any  other  principle 
than  that  the  god  of  this  world  has  blinded 
their  eyes  and  hardened  their  hearts.  How 
people  unpossessed^  in  the  light  of  all  the 
suffering  to  which  their  sense  bears  testimony, 
can  coolly  affirm  that  the  whole  thing  is  a  lie, 
we  can  have  no  conception. 

(p.  400)  "  Some  time  it  will  be  learned  that  Mind 
constructs  the  body,  and  with  its  own 
materials.  Hence  no  breakage  or  disloca- 
tion can  really  occur.  You  say  that  acci- 
dents, injuries,  and  disease  kill  men;  but 
this  is  not  true." 

If  Christian  Scientists  believed  this  utterance, 
they  would  not  hesitate  to  stand  as  targets 
at  a  rifle  range,  permit  a  train  to  run  over 
their  bodies,  or  dive  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 
According  to  these  teachings,  the  doors 
of  every  hospital  and  asylum  in  the  land 
might  be  swung  open  and  all  the  patients 
walk  out  free  and  well.  The  lame  man 
might  throw  away  his  crutches  and  the  de- 
formed walk  erect.  All  severed  and  withered 
members  of  the  body  might  be  restored  to 
perform  their  natural  functions ;  and  suffer- 


Sickness  and  Disease  79 

ing  in  the  human  family,  as  well  as  in  the 
animal  kingdom,  would  instantly  cease. 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  reply  to  absurd- 
ities so  self-evident  that  to  most  minds  they 
will  refute  themselves  ;  but  as  disciples  of 
Christ,  one  of  our  missions  is  to  *'  earnestly 
contend  for  the  faith"  and  now,  as  in  all 
ages,  we  are  to  defend  the  truth. 

Christian  Science  sets  before  us  a  creation 
of  its  own  which  it  chooses  to  call  "  Mortal 
Mind,"  meaning,  as  it  defines  it,  **  something 
which  has  no  existence."  This  "  something 
without  existence  "  it  represents  as  ever  pro- 
claiming the  existence  of  matter,  declaring 
to  humanity  that  they  are  sick,  diseased 
and  sinful,  all  of  which  utterances  we  are 
assured  are  absolute  falsehoods,  since  all 
mankind  is  in  perfect  health,  cannot  sin,  and 
do  not  exist,  except  as  mind. 

In  ''Science  and  Health"  (p.  510)  an  ex- 
planation is  demanded  of  the  origin  of  the 
serpent.  We  answer  that  this  is  one  of  the 
many  things  in  His  word  that  God  has  not 
seen  fit  to  explain  to  man  ;  but  when  Chris- 
tian Science  can  give  a  half-way  intelligent 
explanation  as  to  how  this  non-existent  mon- 
strosity called  "  mortal  mind  "  found  its  way 
into  being,  then  the  serpent's  history  can  be 
easily  related. 


8o      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

In  overthrowing  the  attitude  occupied  by 
Christian  Science  regarding  sickness  and 
disease,  we  will  prove  it  to  be  false  from  its 
own  testimony  as  well  as  from  the  Scriptures 
and  from  reason. 

(p.  5)  ••  After  a  careful  examination  of  my  dis- 
covery, and  its  demonstration  in  healing  the 
sick,  this  fact  becomes  evident  to  me, — that 
Mind  governs  the  body." 

Here  the  discoverer  of  Christian  Science 
actually  says  that  we  have  a  bodyy  and  that 
this  body  is  governed  by  mind  and  that  her 
discovery  has  proved  effectual  in  **  healing 
the  sicky 
(p.  77)  "  A  lady  whom  I  cured  of  consumption." 

This  lady  must  really  have  had  co7isinnpiion^ 
or  she  could  not  have  been  cured  of  that  dread 
disease, 

(P-  55)  "  The  author  has  restored  health  in  both 
acute  and  chronic  disease  and  in  their 
severest  forms.  Secretions  have  been 
changed,  the  structure  has  been  renewed, 
shortened  limbs  have  been  elongated,  cica- 
trized joints  have  been  made  supple,  and 
carious  bones  have  been  restored  to  healthy 
conditions." 

If  there  is  no  disease  how  could  she  rebuke 
it?  If  no  limbs,  joints  and  bones,  how  could 
she  restore  them  to  a  healthy  condition  ? 


Sickness  and  Disease  8l 

(p.  6i)  •'  I  have  discerned  disease  in  the  human 
mind,  and  recognize  the  patient's  fear  of  it, 
many  weeks  before  the  so-called  disease 
made  its  appearance  in  the  body." 

Then,  the  patient  must  have  had  a  body  and 
a  disease  must  have  appeared  in  it  to  the  un- 
fortunate patient,  to  others  who  witnessed 
the  case,  and  even  to  this  discoverer  of 
Christian  Science. 

(p.  167)  "  Those  who  are  willing  to  leave  their 
nets  .  .  .  have  the  opportunity  now,  as 
aforetime,  to  learn  and  practice  Christian 
heahng." 

And  so  the  disciples  of  old  learned  the  art  of 
performing  miracles !  But  why  is  healing 
necessary  if  there  is  no  sickness?  and  how 
could  it  be  practiced  if  all  are  in  perfect 
health  ? 

But  to  cap  the  climax  of  Christian  Science 
testimony  on  disease  we  are  informed  that 
when  Dr.  Geo.  L.  West,  who  on  December 
5,  1910,  was  called  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Eddy 
to  make  out  the  death  certificate,  he  was 
informed  by  the  one  who  had  acted  as  her 
right  hand  man  for  several  years,  even  Mr. 
Frye,  that  **  Mrs.  Eddy  had  been  in  error 
about  a  week,  and  passed  away  very 
quietly." 


82     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Mr.  Farlow,  one  of  the  hierarchy  of  the 
"  Mother  Church  "  when  asked  if  "  Mrs.  Eddy 
had  simply  become  sick  and  died?"  an- 
swered, "  Yes." 

Dr.  Adam  H.  Dickey,  who  had  been  Mrs. 
Eddy's  private  secretary  for  many  years,  and 
who,  with  others,  has  now  taken  full  charge 
of  the  church  management — having  become 
one  of  its  directors — on  the  morning  of  Mrs. 
Eddy's  death  stated  that  ''  she  had  been  in- 
disposed for  eight  or  nine  days."  In  answer 
to  questions  put  by  Dr.  West  he  said,  "  I 
think  Mrs.  Eddy  had  pneumonia,"  also  that 
"  she  had  suffered  from  some  coughing,  and 
that  in  the  end  her  bronchial  tubes  had  be- 
come congested  and  that  the  air  passages 
had  so  filled  up  that  she  could  no  longer 
breathe." 

The  foregoing  is  copied  from  Associated 
Press  reports  as  given  in  the  Indianapolis 
News,  all  of  which  seem  to  be  written  in  the 
most  friendly  way  to  Christian  Science. 

What  a  testimony  emanating  from  Chris- 
tian Scientists  themselves  regarding  the  final 
sickness  of  their  founder,  who  declared  that 
*'  man  is  never  sick  "  ! 

But  now  let  us  examine  the  Scriptures  with 
regard  to  sickness  and  disease.  In  God's 
wonderful  dealings  with  the  Israelites  He  sets 


Sickness  and  Disease  83 

blessings  and  curses  before  them,  dependent 
upon  the  observance  of  His  laws.  If  they 
walked  in  His  statutes,  every  good  thing 
would  be  showered  down  upon  them ;  but 
accordingly  as  they  departed  from  Him,  they 
would  be  visited  with  sickness,  afflictions,  and 
punishments. 

(Lev.  xxvi.  16)  "I  will  even  appoint  over  you 
terror,  consumption,  and  the  burning  ague, 
that  shall  consume  the  eyes,  and  cause  sor- 
row of  heart." 

(Deut.  xxviii.  27)  "The  Lord  will  smite  thee 
with  the  botch  of  Egypt,  and  with  the 
emerods,  and  with  the  scab,  and  with  the 
itch,  whereof  thou  canst  not  be  healed." 

(Deut.  xxviii.  35)  "  The  Lord  shall  smite  thee  in 
the  knees,  and  in  the  legs,  with  a  sore  botch 
that  cannot  be  healed,  from  the  sole  of  thy 
foot  unto  the  top  of  thy  head." 

(Deut.  xxviii.  59,  60)  **  Then  the  Lord  will  make 
thy  plagues  wonderful,  and  the  plagues  of 
thy  seed,  even  great  plagues,  and  of  long 
continuance.  Moreover  he  will  bring  upon 
thee  all  the  diseases  of  Egypt." 

Whether  the  Israelites  have  ever  been 
visited  with  the  plagues  herein  enumerated 
is  not  now  the  question  at  issue.  It  is  to 
determine  if  the  Bible  teaches  that  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  bodily  suffering,  sickness  and 
disease.    We   believe  that  no  candid  mind 


84     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

can  read  these  passages  and  not  decide  this 
question  in  the  affirmative. 

In  these  verses  God,  not  man,  is  the 
speaker.  Note  carefully  He  uses  the  words 
"  sickness  y^  and  "  diseases. ^^  Some  of  these 
He  calls  by  name  as  the  ''  ague,"  the  "  botch," 
the  "emerods,"  the  "scab"  and  the  "itch." 
These  diseases  are  not  pictured  as  being 
imaginary,  but  real,  inflicted  upon  the  person 
by  God  Himself,  and  various  parts  of  the  body 
are  named  as  being  afifected  by  them,  viz. : 
the  eyes,  the  legs,  and  to  indicate  a  sickness 
of  the  entire  body  it  is  added — "  from  the  sole 
of  thy  foot  unto  the  top  of  thy  head." 

Again,  the  cases  of  sickness  and  disease 
recorded  in  the  Bible  are  very  numerous. 
We  select  the  following : 

(2  Kings  xiii.  14)  "  Now  Elisha  was  fallen  sick 
of  his  sickness  whereof  he  died." 

(2  Chron.  xvi.  12)  "  And  Asa,  in  the  thirty  and 
ninth  year  of  his  reign,  was  diseased  in  his 
feet,  until  his  disease  was  exceeding  great." 

(2  Kings  XX.  i)  "In  those  days  was  Hezekiah 
sick  unto  death." 

(2  Chron.  xxi.  15)  "Thou  shalt  have  great  sick- 
ness by  disease  of  thy  bowels,  until  the  bowels 
fall  out  by  reason  of  the  sickness  day  by 
day." 

Upon  these  quotations  let  it  be  observed 
that  they  are  the  records  of  inspired  writers, 


Sickness  and  Disease  85 

that  the  diseases  spoken  of  are  declared  to  be 
facts  and  that  the  sufferings  of  the  afflicted 
were  visible  upon  the  bodies  of  those  upon 
whom  they  were  visited. 

Elisha  had  been  permitted  to  live  a  long 
and  useful  life ;  but  now  the  hand  of  God  is 
laid  upon  him  and  he  is  taken  home. 

Asa,  of  whom  it  is  said  he  did  that  which 
was  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  is  now  in 
the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  reign.  Many 
good  works  had  been  accomplished  by  him, 
but  his  record  was  not  entirely  clear,  and 
whether  because  of  this  we  cannot  say,  but 
he  takes  a  disease— not  imaginary,  but  real. 
This  disease  did  not  appear  in  his  mind,  but 
in  his  feet,  and  so  severe  did  it  become  that 
it  resulted  in  his  death. 

The  good  King  Hezekiah  is  here  declared 
to  be  sick  unto  death  and  in  the  seventh 
verse  of  the  twentieth  chapter  of  Second 
Kings  we  have  some  information  as  to  the 
nature  of  his  sickness.  It  seems  to  have 
been  caused  by  a  boil.  This  Christian 
Science  declares  to  be  a  mere  belief  on  page 
47,  and  on  page  46  it  says  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  it  to  be  painful.  Hence,  when  we  set 
the  Bible  against  *' Science  and  Health" 
there  is  a  flat  contradiction. 

But   Hezekiah   did   not   die  at  this  time. 


86     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

nor  was  he  restored  by  the  prophet  arguing 
with  him  "  that  he  had  no  disease."  So  far 
from  it  that  by  divine  direction  a  material 
means  was  used.  They  took  a  bunch  of  figs 
"  and  laid  it  on  the  boil,  and  he  recovered." 

But  of  Jehoram  and  the  ''incurable  dis- 
ease "  visited  upon  him,  what  can  be  said  ? 
In  2  Chronicles  xxi.  19  we  learn  that  his 
disease  was  of  a  lingering  character  lasting 
for  a  period  of  two  years  when,  as  it  is 
expressed,  "  his  bowels  fell  out  by  reason  of 
his  sickness ;  so  he  died  of  sore  diseases." 
This  is  not  given  as  Jehoram's  belief  about 
himself,  but  it  is  God's  record  of  what  had 
actually  happened.  It  is  in  fulfillment  of 
Elijah's  prophecy  delivered  to  himself.  It 
came  upon  him  as  a  judgment  because  of 
his  awful  wickedness,  and,  as  a  further  dis- 
honor to  him,  it  is  said  that  he  "departed 
without  being  desired."  How  absurd  it 
would  be  to  picture  Elijah  as  going  to  this 
wicked  man,  instead  of  delivering  the  mes- 
sage as  God  had  directed,  and  argue  with 
him  that  he  could  not  have  a  disease,  nor 
would  it  be  possible  for  his  bowels  to  fall  out ! 

But  the  time  would  fail  us  to  tell  about  the 
leprosy  of  Miriam,  Naaman,  Gehazi,  and 
the  ten  who  were  cleansed  by  Christ ;  of  the 
sickness   of    Peter's   wife's   mother :    of   the 


Sickness  and  Disease  87 

woman  who  touched  the  hem  of  Christ's 
garment  and  was  cured  of  the  issue  of  blood 
with  which  she  had  suffered  for  twelve 
years ;  of  the  many,  whom  by  Paul's  instru- 
mentality while  on  the  Isle  of  Melita,  were 
cured  of  divers  diseases  and  of  the  multi- 
tudes of  sick  people  who,  wherever  Jesus 
entered,  into  villages,  or  cities  or  country, 
were  laid  in  the  streets  that  they  might  touch 
the  border  of  His  garment,  and  as  many  as 
touched  were  made  whole. 

Jesus  did  not  argue  with  any  of  the  people 
— telling  them  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
sickness  and  consequently  that  they  were 
entirely  well,  but  on  the  contrary  He  recog- 
nized them  as  people  who  were  really  sick, 
rebuked  their  diseases  and  restored  them  to 
health. 

Indeed  Jesus  went  further  than  this ;  in- 
stead of  placing  a  stigma  upon  medicine,  a 
slur  upon  the  physician  and  a  cruel  rebuke 
upon  the  sick  and  diseased.  He  said,  **  they 
that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  they 
that  are  sick"  (Matt.  ix.  12).  Here  Jesus 
bears  testimony  to  the  fact  that  at  such 
times  we  need  a  physician.  How  dare 
Christian  Science  then  deny  the  very  decla- 
rations of  Christ  and  teach  that  there  is  no 
sickness,  disease,  or  even  death  ? 


A'' 


88     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

As  an  example  of  the  pure  bitterness  dis- 
played in  "  Science  and  Health "  against 
medicine,  sanitary  laws  and  physicians,  we 
quote  the  following : 

(p.  290)  "  Why  support  the  popular  systems  of 
medicine,  when  the  physician  may  be  per- 
chance an  infidel,  and  loses  ninety  and  nine 
patients  while  Christian  Science  cures  its 
hundred  ?  " 

(p.  114)  "  Why  do  you  substitute  drugs  for  the 

I  Almighty's  power,  and  employ  a  doctor  to 

lead  us  contrary  to  God's  will  ?  " 

(p.  67)  "  When  there  are  fewer  doctors,  and  less 
thought  is  given  to  sanitary  subjects,  there 

!         will  be  better  constitutions  and  less  disease." 

In  answer  to  the  first  of  the  above  quota- 
tions, we  desire  to  ask,  IVho  could  be  a 
greater  infidel  than  a  thorottgh  Christia^i 
Scientist?  He  declares  God  to  be  but  a 
**  Principle,"  tramples  not  only  the  Bible, 
but  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  beneath  his 
feet  and  denies  the  very  existence  of  every- 
thing that  has  been  created  by  the  Almighty. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  dispute  the  implication 
here  made  that  physicians,  even  infidel 
physicians  (and  happily  there  are  compara- 
tively few  of  these),  lose  ninety-nine  per  cent, 
of  their  patients,  while  all  who  submit  to  the 
"  healers' "  (?)  treatment  are  made  whole. 
Every     observant     and     intelligent     person 


Sickness  and  Disease  89 

knows  that  such  an  utterance  cannot  be 
sustained. 

With  regard  to  the  other  two  quotations^ 
those  in  Israel  who  violated  the  sanitary  laws 
which  God  instituted  were  no  less  guilty  than 
the  transgressors  of  any  other  divine  precept. 
Read  some  of  those  laws  given,  not  by  doc- 
tors or  boards  of  health,  but  by  God  Himself 
(Deuteronomy  xxiv.  8 ;  Leviticus  vii.  19;  xv). 

Again,  if  these  words  from  '*  Science  and 
Health  "  express  the  truth,  of  what  avail  were 
the  physicians  and  all  the  balm  of  Gilead  ? 
(Jer.  viii.  22.)  Also,  Christ  must  have  been 
wrong  in  declaring  that  the  sick  need  a  physi- 
cian and  Paul  blundered  exceedingly  (Col. 
iv.  14)  in  speaking  of  Luke  as  the  beloved 
physicia7i.  Luke  should  have  abandoned  the 
practice  of  medicine  as  soon  as  he  became 
a  Christian  ;  but  it  is  evident  that  he  did  not 
do  so.  On  the  contrary,  in  following  his 
noble  profession  as  well  as  in  proclaiming 
the  everlasting  gospel,  he  became  a  blessing 
to  many  in  his  day,  and,  in  the  use  of  his 
pen,  he  imparted  a  benediction  to  all  the 
sons  of  men. 

That  sickness  and  disease  are  real  is  a  fact 
overwhelmingly  proved  to  us  from  reason, 
from  the  Bible  and  from  our  own  conscious- 
ness. 


90     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Not  only  does  the  Bible  declare  disease  to 
be  real,  but  it  makes  it  equally  plain  that  in 
many  cases  it  is  contagious ;  and  not  only 
is  disease  contagious  according  to  Scripture, 
but  it  may  be  carried  from  one  person  to  an- 
other in  a  garment,  and  therefore  in  Leviticus 
xiii.  52  the  law  of  Moses  required  the  destruc- 
tion by  fire  of  the  garments  worn  by  those 
afflicted  with  leprosy.  Yea,  more,  so  con- 
tagious was  leprosy  that  God  Himself  in 
Leviticus  xiv.  44,  45  required  the  destruction 
of  the  house  wherein  he  who  suffered  with  what 
was  called  **a  fretting  leprosy"  had  dwelt. 
The  stones,  timbers  and  mortar  of  such  build- 
ings seemed  to  imbibe  the  germs  of  this 
dreadful  disease  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
must  not  be  allowed  to  stand  as  a  death- 
trap to  those  who  afterwards  should  enter 
within  its  walls. 

Thus  Christian  Science  is  again  proved 
to  be  at  variance  with  the  teachings  of  the 
word  of  God.  It  assumes  a  Christian  name, 
makes  a  pretense  of  piety  and  glibly  quotes 
and  misquotes  the  Scriptures ;  while  all  the 
time  it  is  only  acting  the  part  of  Joab  who 
while  feigning  friendship  to  Amasa  stabbed 
him  in  the  fifth  rib. 

But  Christian  Science  occupies  a  double 
attitude  with  regard  to  sickness  and  disease. 


Sickness  and  Disease  91 

While  so  positively  and  repeatedly  denying 
its  existence,  yet  it  contradicts  itself  by  not 
only  acknowledging,  as  already  shown,  that 
there  is  sickness,  but  by  imparting  instruc- 
tions to  its  "  healers."     These  Christian  Sci- 
ence   practitioners   have   left   their   nets,    as 
expressed   by  the   author   of  **  Science  and 
Health"   to  'Mearn   and   practice   Christian 
healing."     They  claim  to  accomplish  great 
wonders  in  restoring  the  sick,  and  these  are 
the  chief  drawing  cards  for  Christian  Science. 
Even  in  ** Science  and  Health"  we  find  a 
number  of  testimonials  (pp.  86  and  87)  which 
are  introduced  by  the  author,  saying,  *'  I  never 
believed  in  receiving  certificates  or  present- 
ing testimonials  of  cures."     That  great  won- 
ders   are    performed    by    Christian    Science 
is  a  question  which  we  will  not  dispute.     In- 
deed we  grant  it  to  be  true  and  in  learning 
of  these  wonders  we  marvel  at  the  exact  ful- 
fillment of  Scripture. 

(Rev.  xvi.  14)  •'  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils, 
working  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world, 
to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great 
day  of  God  Almighty." 

(Matt.  xxiv.  24)  "  For  there  shall  arise  false  Christs, 
and  false  prophets,  and  shall  shew  great  signs 
and  wonders;  insomuch  that,  if  it  were  pos- 
sible, they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect." 


92      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Why  God,  at  various  times,  has  permitted 
Satan,  through  his  instrumentalities,  to  per- 
form wonders,  and  even  afflict  humanity,  I 
would  not  attempt  to  explain ;  but  that  He 
has  done  so  is  beyond  question. 

(Ex.  vii.  12)  It  is  said  of  the  magicians  that 
"  they  cast  down  every  man  his  rod,  and 
they  became  serpents." 

(Job  ii.  6,  7)  "  The  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  Be- 
hold, he  is  in  thine  hand ;  but  save  his  Ufe. 
So  went  Satan  forth  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  and  smote  Job  with  sore  boils, 
from  the  sole  of  his  foot  unto  his  crown." 

(Luke  xiii.  i6)  '<  Ought  not  this  woman,  being  a 
daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath 
bound,  lo,  these  eighteen  years,  be  loosed 
from  this  bond  on  the  sabbath  day  ?  " 

In  the  case  of  Job,  he  was  in  Satan's  hand 
to  afflict  him  as  he  saw  fit,  and  in  the  loss  of 
his  vast  possessions,  the  sudden  death  of  all 
his  children  and  his  intense  suffering  from 
boils,  it  would  seem  that  every  conceivable 
disaster  befell  Job,  but  Satan  must  save  his 
life. 

Of  Satan  it  is  also  said  that  **  he  is  trans- 
formed into  an  angel  of  light  "  (2  Cor.  xi.  14) ; 
and  that  "  his  ministers  also  be  transformed 
as  the  ministers  of  righteousness "  (2  Cor. 
xi.  15). 


Sickness  and  Disease 


93 


What  a  presentation  of  downright  wicked- 
ness and  deception  is  here  brought  to  our 
view  !  The  arch-enemy  of  God,  angels  and 
men,  who  hates  everything  that  is  good  and 
rejoices  only  in  evil  and  in  the  misery  and 
degradation  of  the  human  race — such  an 
enemy  is  here  portrayed  as  transforming 
himself  into  an  angel  of  light  having  ^ninisters 
feigning  righteousness  whose  real  purpose  is 
only  to  deceive  and  to  mislead. 

But  what  a  chapter  might  be  written  by 
those  who  have  sought  relief  in  Christian 
Science  only  to  be  disappointed !  We  have 
known  those  who  have  given  up  all  medicines 
in  the  hope  of  a  speedy  cure  by  these  divine 
healers,  (?)  only  to  be  quickly  ushered  into 
eternity.  We  have  known  others,  who  while 
limping  from  accidents  received,  to  deny  that 
they  have  been  injured  or  that  they  were 
suffering  the  least  inconvenience.  Yet  the 
healer,  even  in  such  cases,  though  denying 
that  money  or  matter  exists,  does  not  forget 
his  fees,  and  we  have  known  cases  where 
payment  has  been  demanded  even  when  such 
practitioners  had  not  been  counselled. 


V 


XII 
DEATH 

Not  only  does  Christian  Science  deny  the 
reality  of  sickness,  but  it  also  declares  that 
death  is  "an  illusion." 

(p.  563)  "  There  is  no  death." 

(p.  401)  "  You  say  that  accidents,  injuries,  and 

disease  kill  man ;  but  this  is  not  true." 
(p.  347)  '♦  Death  will  be  found  at  length  to  be  a 

mortal  dream." 

Of  Christ's  death  upon  the  cross  in  our 

stead,  Christian  Science  denies  that  it  ever 

I  occurred.     On   page   348   it   speaks   of   the 

!  Saviour  as  being  only  an  "  idea  of  God,"  and 

{ of  His  trial  and  crucifixion  it  says  **  which  " 

I  (referring  to  Christ  as  but  an  idea)  "  they  had 

mocked  and  tried  to  slay."     So,  of  those  who 

crucified  Christ,  Christian  Science  says  that 

in  reality  they  only  mocked  and  tried  to  slay 

''the  true  idea  of  God." 

(P-  350  "Jesus'  students  ...  did  not  per- 
form many  wonderful  works  until  they  saw 
him  after  his  crucifixion,  and  learned  that 
he  had  not  died." 

(p.  349)  "  His  disciples  believed  Jesus  dead  while 
he  was  hidden  in  the  sepulchre." 

94 


Death  95 

Language  cannot  be  plainer  than  this.  Not- 
withstanding the  many  meaningless  things 
in  "  Science  and  Health,"  it  cannot  be  mis- 
understood in  its  denial  of  the  reality  of 
death.  Yet  with  equal  plainness  it  contra- 
dicts itself  and  acknowledges  death  to  be  a 
solemn  fact. 

(p.  244)  •*  Many  instances  could  be  cited  of  death 
occasioned  by  the  fear  of  death." 

(p.  271)  "  If  some  fortuitous  circumstance  places 
spiritual  children  in  the  arms  of  gross  par- 
ents, these  beautiful  children  often  early 
droop  and  die." 

(p.  70)  "  If  a  dose  of  poison  is  swallowed  through 
mistake,  and  the  patient  dies,  .  .  .  does 
belief,  you  ask,  cause  this  death  ?  Even  so, 
and  as  directly  as  if  the  poison  had  been  in- 
tentionally taken." 

Even  the  death  of  the  author  of  "  Science 
and  Health  "  on  the  morning  after  its  occur- 
rence was  acknowledged  in  these  words  by 
Mr.  Farrow— "Mrs.  Eddy  died  quietly  and 
as  an  old  lady  would  be  expected  to  die." 
Mr.  Dickey  said  that  ''  in  the  end  her  bron- 
chial tubes  had  become  congested  and  that 
the  air  passages  had  so  filled  up  that  she 
could  no  longer  breathe."  So,  notwithstand- 
ing this  woman's  oft  repeated  declaration 
that  "  there  is  no  death,"  yet  she  herself  suc- 
cumbed to  sickness  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 


96     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

In  the  above  quotations  the  reality  of  death 
is  not  only  acknowledged  by  "Science  and 
Health  "  and  Christian  Scientists,  but  its  oc- 
currence is  attributed  to  four  different  causes, 
viz. :  fear,  neglect,  poison,  and  disease.  We 
do  not  take  exception  to  any  of  these  pas- 
sages, but  they  are  directly  contrary  to  the 
former  ones,  and  as  positively  as  one  declara- 
tion is  true,  the  other  is  false. 

But  to  ascertain  the  truth  on  this  subject, 
let  us  again  examine  our  Bibles.  The  pas- 
sages declaring  the  awful  reality  of  death  are 
so  numerous  that  we  scarcely  know  where  to 
begin.     We  will  therefore  consider  only  a  few. 

(Gen.  XXV.  8)  "Then  Abraham  gave  up  the 
ghost,  and  died  in  a  good  old  age,  an  old 
man,  and  full  of  years  ;  and  was  gathered  to 
his  people." 

This  is  only  one  of  hundreds  of  passages  that 
might  be  quoted  announcing  the  death  of 
patriots,  kings,  and  leaders  amongst  the  Is- 
raelites, as  well  as  other  nations  in  the  early 
history  of  the  world.  After  recording  the 
deeds  of  these  individuals,  whether  good  or 
bad,  the  inspired  biographer  concludes  with 
their  death.  In  this  instance,  as  in  many 
others,  not  only  is  the  party's  death  recorded, 
but  various  terms  are  employed  to  emphasize 


Death  97 

the  fact.  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost  and 
was  gathered  to  his  people,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing verse  it  is  said  that  "  his  sons  Isaac  and 
Ishmael  buried  him  in  the  cave  of  Mach- 
pelah  in  the  field  of  Ephron." 

Here  we  are  taught  that  in  death  the  soul 
and  body  are  separated  from  each  other. 
Abraham's  "  spirit  returned  to  God  who  gave 
it"  while  his  body  which  consisted  of  dust 
was  buried  beneath  the  clods  of  the  valley. 

(John  xi.  14)  "  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  plainly, 
Lazarus  is  dead." 

(John  xi.  39)  "  Martha,  the  sister  of  him  that  was 
dead,  saith  unto  him,  Lord,  by  this  time  he 
stinketh  ;  for  he  hath  been  dead  four  days." 

The  incident  here  referred  to  is  familiar  to 
every  one  who  has  read  the  Scriptures.  Who 
in  the  face  of  such  an  utterance  by  Christ 
Himself  could  deny  the  fact  which  He  here 
declares  ?  The  fact  that  Lazarus  was  really 
dead  and  that  his  entombed  body  had  begun 
to  decompose — ah  I  listen  how  the  very 
words  of  the  Saviour  are  misconstrued  in 
"Science  and  Health"  in  order  to  deceive — 
only  a  part  of  what  He  said  being  quoted. 

(p.  241)  "  Jesus  said  of  Lazarus  :  '  He  is  not  dead, 
but  sleepeth,'  He  restored  Lazarus  by  the 
understanding  that  he  had  never  died." 


98      Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Thus  the  testimony  of  the  senses,  the  teach- 
ings of  reason,  and  the  very  word  of  God  are 
all  denied,  and  the  adherents  to  Christian 
Science  are  required  to  believe  that  which  is 
contrary  to  the  teachings  of  these  witnesses. 
In  concluding  this  subject  we  will  only 
briefly  cite  the  utterances  of  the  devil  and 
Christian  Science,  and  compare  them  with  the 
words  of  God — leaving  the  reader  to  note  how 
flatly  the  one  contradicts  the  other. 


The    Words  of  the  Devil  and 

«  Science  and  Health:' 
(Gen.    iii.   4)  "  Ye  shall  not 
surely  die." 

(p.  563)  "There  is  no  death." 


God's  Word. 

(Gen.  ii.  17)  "In  the  day  that 
thou  eatest  thereof  thou 
shalt  surely  die." 

( Jas.  ii.  26)  "  The  body  with- 
out the  spirit  is  dead." 

(Heb.  ix.  27)  "  It  is  ap- 
pointed unto  men  once  to 
die." 


XIII 

eONTRADICTIONS  IN  "  SCIENCE  AND 
HEALTH  » 

(p.  291)  "  In  this  volume  of  mine  there  are  no 
contradictory  statements." 

What  an  utterance  for  one  to  make  con- 
cerning her  own  productions  !  Others  should 
be  allowed  to  determine  that  for  themselves; 
but  instead  of  submitting  her  writings  to 
reason,  the  author  of  *'  Science  and  Health  " 
denies  the  privilege  of  investigation  by  adding 
— **  at  least  none  which  are  apparent  to  those 
who  understand  its  propositions  well  enough 
to  pass  judgment  upon  them."  How  arbi- 
trary, how  distasteful  and  how  repulsive  to  an 
honest  mind  seeking  for  the  truth.  In  sub- 
stance it  is  equivalent  to  saying — **  If  you  do 
not  accept  everything  I  say  without  a  ques- 
tion or  a  doubt,  it  is  because  you  do  not  un- 
derstand me,  and,  therefore,  you  are  incapa- 
ble of  passing  judgment.  Silence  only  be- 
comes those  who  fail  to  see  the  perfect  har- 
mony in  my  infallible  teachings." 
99 


lOO     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

How  different  is  such  a  tyrannical  posture 
from  that  of  Christ  and  Paul.  Jesus  said  to 
the  Jews, 


(John  X.  37)  "  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father, 
believe  me  not." 


He  thus  invites  investigation  and  regards 
even  His  enemies  as  being  capable  of  deter- 
mining whether  He  be  an  impostor  or  is  truly 
the  Son  of  God,  and  the  inspired  Apostle 
Paul,  in  addressing  the  Corinthians,  salutes 
them  as  reasonable  men  (i  Cor.  x.  15)  and 
calls  upon  them  to  judge  as  to  the  wisdom 
of  what  he  says. 

But  how  different  in  Christian  Science. 
One  who  becomes  a  follower  of  its  teachings 
must  first  deny  the  testimony  of  his  own  eyes 
and  ears  and  all  five  of  his  senses — except 
when  its  **  discoverer  "  speaks.  Then  every 
utterance  must  be  accepted  without  a  ques- 
tion. He  must  even  beheve  the  founder  when 
she  declares  that 

(p.  4)  "  No  human  pen  or  tongue  taught  me  the 
Science  contained  in  *  Science  and  Health.'  " 

This  must  be  accepted  as  true  notwith- 
standing  the   overwhelming   evidence,   pro- 


Contradictions  loi 

duced  by  Lyman  P.  Powell/  that  her  book  is 
largely  suggested  by  the  teachings  of  P.  P. 
Quimby,  of  whom  she  said  before  the  publi- 
cation of  her  '*  revelation  "  (?)  he  **  speaks 
as  never  man  before  spake  and  heals  as  never 
man  healed  since  Christ ;  is  he  not  identified 
with  the  truth?  and  is  not  this  the  Christ 
which  is  in  him?  "  ^ 

This  Quimby  died  in  the  year  1865 — one 
year  before  Mrs.  Eddy's  discovery  of  what 
she  calls  Christian  Science.  He  had  been 
her  teacher  and  healer  as  acknowledged  by 
herself  by  letters  still  extant  addressed  to 
him.  In  one  of  these,  dated  January  12, 
1863,  she  says,  "  1  am  to  all  who  see  me  a 
living  wonder  and  a  living  monument  of 
your  power."  In  letters  after  this  date  ad- 
dressed to  this  same  man,  she  says,  "  Who 
is  wise  but  you?"  "Dear  doctor,  what 
could  I  do  without  you  ? "  "I  am  up  and 
about  to-day,  i.  e.,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord." 
(Quimby.)  ^ 

Mr.  Powell  says,  **  Later  in  the  same  year 
(1862)  I  find  in  the  Portland  Courier  an 
eloquent  denial  that  Quimby  was  either  a 

>  Powell's  remarkable  Look  is  worthy  a  wide  circulation. 
Published  by  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York.— The  Knicker- 
bocker Press. 

2  Powell,  p.  29.  » Ibid.y  p.  31. 


)02    Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

spiritualist,  or  mesmerist,  and  an  unequivocal 
statement  that  under  Quimby's  care  patients 
recovered  in  proportion  to  their  perception 
of  truth.  This  letter  is  signed  by  Mary  M. 
Patterson,  earlier  Mary  M.  Glover,  and  now 
Mary  Baker  G.  Eddy."  ^  Thus  we  see  how 
closely  Mrs.  Eddy  and  her  teacher  were 
associated,  and  yet  after  all  this  she  declares 
that  **  neither  pen  nor  tongue  taught  me  the 
science  contained  in  *  Science  and  Health,'  " 
and,  as  if  to  terrify  those  who  would  venture 
an  investigation  she  adds  (p.  4),  *'  and  neither 
tongue  nor  pen  can  overthrow  it."  "  This 
book,"  she  continues,  *'  may  be  distorted  by 
shallow  criticism,  or  by  careless  and  mis- 
chievous students  and  its  ideas  may  be 
temporarily  forced  into  wrong  channels ;  but 
the  Science  and  Truth  therein  will  remain 
forever,  to  be  discerned  and  demonstrated." 

Here  it  is  impHed  that  every  one  who 
takes  issue  with  her  teachings  is  a  distorter 
and  a  shallow  critic.  If  he  cannot  see  eye  to 
eye  with  her  and  ventures  to  express  a  con- 
trary view,  he  is  only  a  mischief  maker — at- 
tempting to  force  her  ideas  into  wrong 
channels. 

That  the  science  and  truth  contained  in 
her  book  will  remain  forever  is  an  utterance 

1  Powell,  p.  40. 


Contradictions 


103 


to  which  we  readily  assent ;  but  the  folly  of 
its  blasphemous  and  misleading  teachings, 
together  with  the  author's  exalted  claims  will 
ultimately  be  made  manifest. 

To  what  extent  God  will  permit  Christian 
Science  and  other  delusions  to  expand  and 
how  many  are  to  be  deceived  by  them  we  do 
not  know  ;  but  we  do  know  that  the  more 
popular  they  become  and  the  higher  their 
flight,  the  greater  will  be  their  fall. 

Now  for  the  writer  to  say  that  there  are 
contradictions  in  "Science  and  Health" 
would  prove  nothing,  but  when  he  places 
before  the  reader  in  parallel  columns  a  few 
of  hundreds  of  flat  contradictions  in  this  book, 
it  will  certainly  overthrow  the  author's  as- 
sumption that  **  in  this  volume  of  mine  there 
are  no  contradictory  statements."  Let  us 
note  the  following : 


(p.  142)  "  Never  record  ages."       (p.    141)    "Some    American 

travellers  saw  her  when  she 
was  seventy-four,  and  sup>- 
posed  her  a  young  lady." 
(Why  does  the  author  of 
"  Science  and  Health  "  re- 
cord the  age  of  this  woman?) 


(p.     142)     "  Time-tables     of       Why,  then,  has  such  an  adieu 
birth     and     death    are    so  been     made     by    Christian 

many    conspiracies   against  Scientists  about  the  age  and 

manhood  and  womanhood."  birthdays  of  Mrs.  Eddy  and 

with  her  sanction  ? 


104    Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 


(p.  237)  «'  Close  your  eyes, 
and  you  may  dream  that 
you  see  a  flower — that  you 
touch  and  smell  it.  Thus 
you  learn  that  the  flower  is 
a  product  of  mind.  .  .  ." 


(p.  240)  "  Who  will  say  .  .  . 
that  we  are  in  Europe 
when  we  are  in  the  opposite 
hemisphere?"  (If  a  flower 
is  but  2.  product  of  the  tnind, 
the  same  reasoning  will 
prove  that  a  continent  is 
equally  so.  Therefore,  if 
this  statement  is  logical  we 
may  close  our  eyes,  and  in 
whatever  hemisphere  we 
dream  ourselves  to  be, 
there  is  surely  where  we 
are.) 


(p.  563)  "  There  is  no  death." 
(P-  yji)  "  Nothing  that  lives 
ever  dies." 


(P-  385)  "A  blundering  des- 
patch, mistakenly  announc- 
ing the  death  of  a  friend,  oc- 
casions the  same  grief  that 
his  real  death  would  bring." 
(  Then  there  must  be  such  a 
thing  as  real  death. ) 


(P-    392) 

sick." 


Man 


is     never 


(p.  392)    "  It   is  well 
calm  in  sickness." 


to  be 


(P-  ^1Z^  "Nothing  we  can 
say  or  believe  regarding 
matter  is  true,  except  that 
matter  is  unreal." 


(p.  411)  "  Mind  can  regulate 
the  condition  of  the  stomach, 
bowels,  food  and  tempera- 
ture of  children,  far  better 
than  matter  can."  (If 
"  there  is  no  matter  "  how 
could  matter  regulate  any' 
thing  ?) 


Contradictions 


105 


(p.  452)  "  There  is  no  mat- 
ter." 


(p.  438)  "  I  have  never  wit- 
nessed as  decided  effects 
from  the  use  of  material 
remedies  as  from  the  use 
of  spiritual."  (Then  even 
the  author  of  "  Science  and 
Health  "  who  declares  that 
«•  there  is  no  matter  "  here 
says  that  she  has  witnessed 
the  use  of  "  material  reme- 
dies:') 


(p.  459)  "  Man  is  incapable 

of  sin." 
(p.  461)   "  Jesus  taught  .  .  . 

that  man  is  unfallen,  pure 

and  holy." 


(p.  457)  "  Christ  came  to 
save  sinners." 

(p.  328)  "  One  sacrifice,  how- 
ever great,  is  insufficient  to 
pay  the  debt  of  sin." 

(p.  334)  "  Christians  .  .  .  must 
grapple  with  sin  in  them- 
selves and  in  others." 


(p.  174)  "  There  are  no  ma- 
terial senses." 


(p.  170)  *«  Knowledge  gained 
from  matter,  and  through 
the  material  senses,  is  only 
an  illusion."  (If  there  are 
no  '•  material  senses  "  how 
could  knowledge  be  gained 
through  them  ?) 


XIV 

THE  SCRIPTURAL  KEY 

In  perfect  harmony  with  the  exalted  per- 
sonality claimed  by  the  author  of  "  Science 
and  Health,"  she  presumes  to  present  to  the 
world  a  Key  to  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  but 
upon  everything  she  attempts  to  explain  in 
this  Key,  as  well  as  in  her  Glossary,  she  not 
only  murders  the  language,  but  puts  a  mean- 
ingless explanation  upon  the  sacred  page. 

The  following  illustrations  we  believe  will 
convince  the  intelligent  and  candid  reader 
that  our  statement  is  not  overdrawn. 


Scriptural  Narrative. 

(Gen.  i.  9)  "  And  God  said, 
let  the  waters  under  the 
heaven  be  gathered  together 
unto  one  place,  and  let  the 
dry  land  appear." 


As  Explained  (?)  in  «*  Sci- 
ence and  Health.^^ 

(p.  488)  «•  Spirit  gathers  un- 
formed thoughts  into  their 
proper  channels,  God  un- 
folds these  thoughts." 


(Gen.  i.  15)  "And  let  them  (p.  491)    "Truth   and   Love 

be  for  lights  in  the  firma-  enlighten    the   understand- 

ment  of  the  heaven  to  give  ing,  in  whose  light  we  shall 

light  upon  the  earth."  see  light." 

106 


The  Scriptural  Key  107 

(Gen.   i.    17,  18)  "And   God  (p.   492)    "God    is   revealed 

set  them  in  the  firmament  through  harmony,  and  also 

of  the  heaven  to  give  light  in  Divine  Science,  which  is 

upon  the  earth,  and  to  rule  the  seal  of  Deity,  and  has 

over  the  day  and  over  the  the  impress  of  heaven." 
night,   and    to    divide    the 
light  from  darkness." 


"A  key  has  two  offices.  It  may  open  a 
door  or  effectually  close  it."  ^  We  leave  the 
reader  to  decide  whether  this  "  Key  to  the 
Scriptures  "  has  opened  or  closed  their  mean- 
ing to  an  intelligent  mind. 

In  the  Christian  Science  **  Glossary "  in 
"  Science  and  Health "  occur  the  following 
definitions  : 

(P-  565)  "  Eyes.  Spiritual  discernment — not 
material,  but  mental." 

(p.  564)  "  Ears.  Not  organs  of  the  so-called  cor- 
poreal senses,  but  spiritual  understanding." 

If  the  above  words  are  properly  defined,  then 
John  xviii.  lo  should  read,  **  Peter  having  a 
sword,  drew  it,  and  smote  the  high  priest's 
servant,  and  cut  off  his  right  spiritual  iinder- 
standingT  And  2  Kings  xxv.  6  and  7  should 
be  thus  translated, — "  Then  the  King  of  Baby- 
lon .  .  .  put  out  Zedekiah's  spiritual 
discernment — not  material  but  spirituaV^  I  !  ! 

(p-  565)  "  Flesh.     An  illusion." 

>  Dr.  Gray's  "  Antidote  to  Christian  Science,"  p.  30, 


io8     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

Then  we  should  read  the  words  of  Christ  to 
His  disciples  in  Luke  xxiv.  39,  **  Handle  me 
and  see  ;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  an  illusion  and 
bones  as  ye  see  me  have." 

In  connection  with  this  passage,  let  us  read 

(2  John  7)  "  Many  deceivers  are  entered  into 
the  world,  who  confess  not  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  come  in  the  flesh.  This  is  a  deceiver  and 
an  antichrist." 

Here  the  Holy  Scriptures  warn  us  against 
just  such  teachings  as  we  have  in  so-called 
Christian  Science. 

(p.  561)  "  Children  "  are  here  defined  as  "  Love's 
Spiritual  thoughts,  sensual  aud  mortal  be- 
liefs ;  counterfeits  of  creation." 

How  preposterous  I 

After  having  thus  gathered  into  groups 
some  of  the  haphazard  teachings  contained 
in  "  Science  and  Health,"  let  us  again  wander 
for  a  little  while  through  this  book — and 
consider  a  few  isolated  passages  on  various 
subjects. 

(p.  256)  "  Let  us  rid  ourselves  of  the  belief  that 
man  is  a  separate  intelligence  from  God." 

(p.  497)  "  Man  is  co-existent  and  eternal  with 
God." 


The  Scriptural  Key  109 

If  man  is  co-existent  and  eternal  with  God, 
and  not  a  separate  intelligence  from  Him, 
theit  7nan  must  be  God. 

(p.  236)  «'  The  divine  mind  maintains  all  identi- 
ties as  distinct  and  eternal,  from  a  blade  of 
grass  to  a  star." 

And  is  the  divine  mind  also  deceived?  If 
"  there  is  no  matter,"  can  it  be  possible  that 
God  imagines  that  grass  and  stars  do  really 
exist  ? 

(p.  189)  "  Electricity  is  not  a  vital  fluid,  but  the 
least  material  form  of  human  consciousness, 
— the  material  thought  essence,  which  forms 
the  link  between  matter  and  mortal  mind." 

We  leave  the  reader  to  figure  out  what 
electricity  really  is  from  the  definition  here 
given.  As  for  us  we  cannot  but  exclaim 
**  who  is  this  that  darkeneth  counsel  by  words 
without  knowledge?" 

(p.  523)  "  Minerals  and  vegetables  are  found, 
according  to  Divine  Science,  to  be  God's 
ideas — creations  of  thought,  not  of  matter." 

Then  we  ask,  does  **  Mortal  Mind  "  cause 
God  also  to  imagine  the  existence  of  vege- 
tables and  minerals,  and  thus  deceive  the  Al- 
mighty ? 


1  lo     Christian  Science  Falsely  So  Called 

(p.  I)  "  God  had  been  graciously  fitting  me, 
during  many  years,  for  the  reception  of  a 
final  revelation  of  the  absolute  Principle  of 
Scientific  Mind-healing." 

How  could  it  have  been  a  final  revelation 
that  the  author  received  in  the  year  1866 
since  in  the  various  editions  of  her  book  so 
many  later  revelations  must  have  been 
given?  "  Science  and  Health  "  in  its  present 
dress,  or  as  it  appears  in  its  latest  edition, 
has  undergone  wonderful  changes  in  its 
phraseology  from  that  in  which  it  was 
originally  presented.  We  call  upon  Chris- 
tian Scientists  to  explain  how  "  a  final  reve- 
lation "  undergoing  constant  changes  could 
be  di  final  revelation. 

(p.  171)  "  Divine  Metaphysics,  as  revealed  to  my 
understanding,  shows  me  that  all  is  Mind." 

There  is  here  unwittingly  implied  a  doubt, 
or  it  would  read,  *'  Divine  metaphysics  demon- 
strates all  to  be  mind." 

(p.  322)  "  Here  let  me  give  what  I  understand 
to  be  a  spiritual  interpretation  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer." 

A  doubt  is  again  implied  or  it  would  read, 
"  This  is  a  spiritual  interpretation  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer." 


The  Scriptural  Key  iii 

(p.  345)  "  Science  removes  the  penalty,  only  by 
first  removing  the  sin  which  incurs  the 
penalty.  This  is  my  sense  of  divine  pardon, 
which  I  understand  to  mean  God's  method 
of  destroying  sin." 

Certainly  this  is  strange  language  for  one 
who  claims  to  have  had  a  ''final  revelation  " 
from  the  Almighty,  who  was  authorized  by 
Him  to  write  a  Key  to  His  Holy  Word,  and 
who  claims  herself  to  be  the  wife  of  His  only 
begotten  Son.  Strange  that  after  making  so 
many  declarations  with  supreme  authority, 
she  should  forget  herself  and  make  it  known 
to  the  world  that  after  all  she  may  be  mis- 
taken and  mistaken  on  a  subject  of  such  vital 
interest  as  **  Divine  Pardon  '' — not  knowing 
how  the  awful  penalty  under  which  we  stand 
condemned  can  be  removed. 


CONCLUSION 

We  have  seen  from  the  foregoing  that 
while  Christian  Science  makes  much  of  the 
Bible,  and  while  its  founder  speaks  of  it  as 
being  her  *'  only  text-book,"  yet,  when  we 
carefully  analyze  her  teachings,  we  discover 
that  every  fundamental  truth  revealed  in 
God's  word  is  flatly  denied  in  *'  Science  and 
Health." 

If  we  follow  and  accept  what  this  book 
inculcates,  we  are  of  necessity  driven  to  these 
conclusions : 

1.  That  there  is  no  personal  God. 

2.  That  even  the  author  of  "  Science  and 
Health  "  as  well  as  ourselves  has  never  had  a 
personality. 

3.  That  the  book  said  to  have  been  writ- 
ten by  Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  exist. 

4.  That  in  reality  God  never  did  create 
the  heavens  and  the  earth.  Therefore,  there 
is  no  world,  no  landscape,  no  seas,  no  heaven, 
no  hell ;  but  all  is  blank. 

Yet   in  the  face  of  these  teachings,  even 
though  they  may  be  believed  by  multitudes, 
God's  people  need  not  become  in  the  least 
112 


Conclusion  1 13 

alarmed.  In  various  phases  and  in  heathen 
lands  the  god  of  this  world  has  had  similar 
delusions  in  vogue  for  many  centuries ;  but 
never  before  have  they  assumed  a  Christian 
name  or  been  attired  in  saintly  dress. 

In  the  meantime  our  mission  as  the  re- 
deemed of  the  Lord  is  to  discern  the  signs  of 
the  times,  to  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith, 
and,  while  patiently  waiting,  be  ever  looking 
for  that  blessed  hope  and  the  glorious  appear- 
ing of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  that  happy  day  when 
the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  His  glory, 
we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  the  risen  saints 
in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air ; 
and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord. 
Then,  the  promise  is  that  we  who  are 
Christ's  shall  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the 
kingdom  of  our  Father. 

"  WTio  hath  ears  to  hear  let  him  hear,^^ 


Printed  in  the   United  States  of  America 


Date  Due 

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